Whatever ‘appened to the national ‘elf?

By PRSD, on Thursday, March 1, 2007

Apparently, the NHS is in rude health, or would be were it not for all those who need doctors, nurses, dentists, surgeons and so on – oh and it feels a long time since opticians handed out those sexy NHS glasses. Mmmm. If all this gets you down in the mouth (sorry, you’ll have to go private for that), leave early on Friday and join in the protests in defence of the health service.

Nigel Costley South West TUC Regional Secretary and co-ordinator for South West NHS Together said: “I know that NHS staff in the South West take real pride in the improvements in health care that have been delivered in recent years.

“Their hard work, and the new staff and investments that extra government funds have allowed, are making a real difference. But we are right to worry that some of this progress is under threat.

Joanne Kaye-Smith, Head of Health at South West UNISON, one of the largest unions involved in NHS Together said: “Across the South West we are seeing community hospitals closing, maternity units closing, bed capacity being reduced and services for some groups such as mental health patients being transferred into the ‘community’ with little guarantee of sufficient resources.

“In pushing for more private sector treatment centres, the Government boasts that it is providing more choice for patients – what choices are available to the mothers in Wiltshire who want to give birth in their local hospital, for the carers of those with mental health needs who rely on in-patient provision to keep their relatives safe and to provide much needed respite. This will be a day to celebrate the wonderful work of the NHS and to show the Government that we will defend it and we do not believe the private sector can or will do a better job”
For more information on the campaign see www.tuc.org.uk/nhstogether
Plans for activities across the South West are:

Exeter
Friday 2 March, Vigil at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital 4pm-6pm

South Devon – Torbay
Friday 2 March, Rally outside Lawes Bridge entrance to hospital between 4 and 6pm
Contact: Lesley-Anne Baxter 07956 100 444 lesleyanne.baxter@btinternet.com

Plymouth
Torch-lit vigil around Hospital on Friday evening 4pm-6pm Contact Dorothy Fogg Dorothy.fogg@amicustheunion.org.uk

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Trotboy

I'm afraid it's going to take a bit more than a few torchlit Vigils to change Brown's assault on the NHS. We need to wake up and smell the s**t on this one, and fast.

Amicus need to do a lot more than this, as do all the Health Unions. Many of us in groups like PUSH and KONP lobbied the Unions to call a National Demonstration today. In Amicus, Unison, T&G and GMB the leadership deliberately ignored these calls to protect Gordon Brown. This is insane - the man has just delivered a kick in the teeth to Healthcare workers with an effective Pay Cut - now is the time to declare War on the Government and fight this assault on the NHS tooth and nail.

Torchlight vigils won't stop Gordon Brown from sleeping at night, only direct action, both Industrial Action by Healthcare workers and protests from the rest of us, will force this Government to think again.

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