'Liberating the NHS' - the truth really was in the title‏

Yesterday we sew the real motivation behind Lansley's plans for the NHS. Those who were dismissed by the Coalition Government, and accused of scaremongering, can today say 'we told you so'. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/01/nhs-trusts-private-patients

The lifting of the cap for private patient income for NHS hospitals has the vultures circling already. The biggest private hospital group in the world US based HCA has already paid £14 million for a new private cancer centre in Christie's Hospital, Manchester. Other hospitals are targeting the rich in Russia and the Middle East. We are told by the Chief Executive of Christie's that staff are reassured by the fact that the profits will be split 50:50 and that there will be no lose of morals or principles. How can that be when facilities are being built specifically for private patients, where the ability to access treatment will depend solely on the ability to pay? What will the priorities be when there is the choice between treating someone who can pay or between someone who has no money?

The lifting of the private patient cap coupled with the removal of waiting time targets opens the doors to going back to the days of long waiting lists, access to treatment based on the ability to pay, and clinical care coming second to money. All this under the disgraceful guise of empowering patients, giving people choice - well there is only choice if you have the money. If you are one of the millions struggling to just make ends meet because of pay freezes, or one of those who have lost their job due to the recession you really have no choice.

This quite flagrant privatisation and marketisation, along with the other reforms announced in the White Paper, really do point to the determination of this Government to decimate the NHS as a national service, accessible to all regardless of ability to pay.

The argument that due to the economic crisis the NHS can get some income to help ease the budget cuts is a false one. On the one hand we are told the NHS budget is ring-fenced, and that people power is at the heart of this Governement's agenda, but the reality is that these reforms are ideological, they are about dismantling the NHS, and handing it over to the private sector.

A campaign to defend the NHS is critical, as agreed at the recent National Conference, and Health Service Group AGM, and must be part of the broader UNISON Million Voices fight to defend public services. A united trade union response is required mobilising our members, non-members and builing political and community alliances. We have the alternative arguments. Let's use them to build massive opposition to the Coalition's intentions to decimate public services.

Clare Williams