Ever since they came to power the NHS has been under sustained attack by the Tories and their Lib Dem allies in a determined attempt to prepare it for privatisation.
The approach is the familiar one we have seen with other nationalised industries. It’s a four stage process.
- First they deliberately underfund it, denying it the resources it needs to function properly.
- Then they draw attention to the fact that it is not meeting people’s needs to ramp up complaints about the service.
- Then they tell us that private sector discipline is what is needed.
- Then they privatise it.
We are already at stage 4 of the process.
The damage done to the NHS over the last 10 years is horrific. as a result of the cuts:
- 78,981 operations were cancelled last year
- There are currently 100,000 staff vacancies
- The NHS is 10,000 doctors short of complement
- 43,000 nurses are needed
- Buildings and land are being sold off to cover running costs.
In addition hospitals have introduced parking charges for staff, patients and visitors alike, further adding to the trauma of visiting the hospital. Labour have committed to scrapping these charges.
But now we are being told that the NHS should not be discussed in the context of the General Election by the very people aiming to gain financially from privatisation! The Tories and Lib Dems know that people value the NHS.
The destruction of the last 9 years was a conscious political decision by the Tories/Lib Dems. Rebuilding it is a conscious political decision by the Labour Party.
We will not be silenced in our defence of the NHS in the interests of the Tories, Trump, or the big American insurance companies.
Only a Labour government will save the NHS from further privatisation and return it to public control. It is worth saving.