The following stories were selected from those sent as daily alerts under the search term ‘NHS’, and ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ from the Google alerts service. Please send any comments to Alan: mailto:[email protected]
2 August
Lancs MP urges residents to fight privatisation (local)
Rosie Cooper, Labour, in piece in local paper. Southport Visitor:
http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/news/southport-west-lancs/west-lancs-mp-urges-residents-11695030
[11 more stories]
Manchester demo makes point (local)
Good local press coverage. Ray Tallis quoted in front of trust quote. Quite right! (But still the exception, unfortunately) Manchester Evening News: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/protesters-stockport-nhs-watch-make-11693614
3 August
NHS temp on £60K…a month
On the face of it, a fourth estate attempt to bring excessive waste to light. But part way through we read: “The Daily Mail also revealed how NHS bosses have been able to claim redundancy deals far in excess of their counterparts in the private sector”. This hints at a more sinister agenda: bad comparisons with the lean and oh-so-efficient private sector. Daily Mail:
A further hint of the overriding agenda can be found in this story, 2 August:
Hunt ‘blasts’ trusts for failure to provide cataract operations
On the face of it, bringing a service to heel that is failing. But cataract services have long been prey to privatisation (eg http://www.midlandeye.com which had such a contract with nearby NHS Heartlands trust) and, accompanying that, NHS ‘initiatives’ which are little more than budgets carved off to give services like these NHS lists to work on. And who promptly boot any patient with a complex condition back to the NHS to sort out. This could easily set up a pressure to privatise as a cherry-picking option. Again. Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3720697/Sort-cataracts-mess-blasts-Hunt-Health-secretary-tells-trusts-stop-delays-elderly-four-patients-reveal-operation-given-sight-lives-back.html
Continued on 5 August:
Elderly patient told to wear dark glasses because she is refusing to pay
More pressure to compel trusts to fund cataract surgery. Daily Mail:
5 August
Hospital workers protest over job threat from private firm (local)
KONP Hackney member Helen Matcham is quoted, well done Helen. Hackney Gazette:
Financial challenges increase for NHS
BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36984039
Unrealistic targets will result in rationing
Nuffield Trust report, in Pulse: http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-practice-life-news/unrealistic-nhs-savings-targets-to-result-in-rationing-report-warns/20032461.fullarticle
Reported in more alarming tones by the Sun:
Private interest ruining NHS (local)
Summary of what is happening. Brighton & Hove Independent:
http://brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/tony-greenstein-private-interests-taking-nhs/
8 August
Tory plans for privatisation
Justin Madders (Labour MP) blog. Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/justin-madders/nhs-privatisation_b_11388948.html
Pressure grows to restore 24 hour A&E at Cheltenham (local)
Gloucestershire Live:
http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/restore-cheltenham-a-e/story-29596672-detail/story.html
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