Coalition's NHS attack 'worse than Thatcher'

Louise Nousratpour in Eastbourne
Friday March 11, 2011
The Morning Star

Women trade unionists warned that the Con-Dems are planning an assault on the NHS worse than anything tried by Margaret Thatcher.

Delegates at the TUC women's conference in Eastbourne said the coalition's planned "reforms" would put lives at risk and turn the health service into nothing more than a corporate logo slapped on a privately run system.

"Even Margaret Thatcher didn't dare do to the NHS what this government is trying to do," Chartered Society of Physiotherapists speaker Kim Gainsborough said.

Conference heard that the Health and Social Care Bill, estimated to slash £3 billion on top of the existing £20bn "efficiency" savings, represented yet more Con-Dem cuts that will hurt women and children most.

Most of the 50,000 job losses forecast at the NHS will be women.

Pregnant women, new mothers and their babies are particularly vulnerable to the reorganisation, which is already causing cuts to maternity and family planning services, midwives and health visitors

Moving a motion on the NHS, Ms Gainsborough said: "Lack of safe maternity care in developing countries is one of the cause of high infant mortality rates. We can't let that happen here."

She warned that the proposals would create "unacceptable postcode lottery services.

"Promoting competition runs through the pages of the Bill, with private companies including US health profiteers poised to take over our NHS."

Ms Gainsborough said there was still time to influence the Bill as union-backed MPs were tabling amendments to mitigate some of the worst aspects of the legislation.

"Pressure your local MP to sign up to these amendments and support my union's day of action on April 1 coinciding with the Bill's return to the Commons," she added.

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: "Clegg and Cameron have unleashed a wrecking ball to the founding ethos of the NHS and want to reduce the logo to a corporate one like Nike."

Usdaw delegate Pat Buttle called on delegates to "knock on every door and take the message out there. These bastards are ruining our NHS and we won't have it."

On the final day of conference today, chairwoman Lesley Mercer informed delegates that a maternity unit down the road from the venue was facing closure for the second time in four years.