Today, thousands of NHS workers are converging on London for a national demonstration. The "I Love The NHS" demo is seeking to protest at the Government's continuing agenda of privatisation and below inflation pay rises.
Disturbingly, Health Emergency 's Geoff Martin has revealed that the same privateers fingered in Michael Moore's new film Sicko ( which I haven't seen yet but am told is excellent) will be given the green light to take over the commissioning of local health services.
United Health, which features heavily in the expose of the scandal of the healthcare system in the US, has been fined millions of dollars in recent years for cheating patients, inflating prices and delaying payments.
Geoff , never exactly a man to pull his punches, says that if anyone wants to know where the NHS could end up in 10 years, they should take a look at Sicko.
"Nye Bevan, the founder of the NHS, must be spinning in his grave at the idea that a Labour government would open the door to the worst of the scum ever spewed out by the privatised US health system." Good luck to the demonstrators......
United Health, which features heavily in the expose of the scandal of the healthcare system in the US, has been fined millions of dollars in recent years for cheating patients, inflating prices and delaying payments.
Geoff , never exactly a man to pull his punches, says that if anyone wants to know where the NHS could end up in 10 years, they should take a look at Sicko.
"Nye Bevan, the founder of the NHS, must be spinning in his grave at the idea that a Labour government would open the door to the worst of the scum ever spewed out by the privatised US health system." Good luck to the demonstrators......
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2 comments:
At a very topical time with the release of Sicko, , you would think the health unions, etc, would have made the most of this opportunity. But from what I have seen the promotion for the demo has been appalling. This is despite this event being mooted over 2 yrs ago and a decision made to host one well over a year ago. What is it with these unions?, do they want the public onside. Is it
Because they want to be seen to be doing something and yet not rock Brown's boat too much?
The NHS is is in mortal danger as a recent letter in the Guardian pointed out:. Brown and his cohorts are at this very moment in the process of importing parts of the awful US style healthcare system to the Uk, helped by lobbyists from the the giant US health and insurance multi-nationals, United Healthcare(which the Guardian seems to support going by the amount one of its bosses posts articles on CIF) Kaiser Healthcare and Unum Provident (soon to be the subject of a major expose.)
For all its faults, (what organisation of that scale won't have any) the NHS is still the real 'jewel in the crown' in the Uk and should be cherished, fought for and defended against the neo-liberals and scorched earth brigade who want it dismantled. Given the goodwill the NHS has from the public the Unions has a great opportunity to make this a massive affirmation of the values of the NHS, but now it will be just a few thousand staff and supporters.
I sometimes despair I really do
Frenetic
('other' log in not working again!)
simply national demos dont work
where as local and regional ones do
the press couldnt give about 5,000 or 50,000 marching around the empty streets of London
when will people wise up
Act Local think global
yes Act locally !!!
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