Tories are attacking our NHS too, says UNISON Scotland

 

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Mark Pindar/reportdigital

 

The Tories aren’t just attacking the NHS in England – they are attacking it everywhere, warned UNISON’s Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby today.

That’s why UNISON Scotland members are joining the 999 – answer the call for your NHS rally outside the Conservative party conference in Manchester on 29 September.

“David Cameron and George Osborne might not run NHS Scotland, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t attacking it,” said Mr Kirby.

“Devolution means they can’t run down and privatise our NHS directly, as they are doing in England. But what they can do is starve it of resources – they are cutting back on the money provided to the Scottish government and this puts the health budget under pressure.”

In the last few weeks alone there have been reports in Scotland of hospital understaffing, health visitors struggling to maintain a universal service and severe problems due to bed numbers going down.

“NHS staff are continually under pressure in their day-to-day work, having to do more with less,” said Mr Kirby. “And they can see what managers are doing to try and meet targets.

“Everyone who wants to maintain the fairest and most cost-effective health service in the world needs to be part of the fight to defend the NHS.

“From Wick to Weymouth our health service belongs to all of us. We all have a duty to stand up and tell the Tories that we won’t see it run down or sold off.”

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis called for the TUC to organise the rally at the union’s national delegate conference in June. And UNISON led the way in bringing together unions in the north west to plan it.

An assembly point, march route and rally point have already been agreed with Greater Manchester police.

The rally will form at Liverpool Road in the city centre from 11am and march off at 12.30pm.

It will them march round the city centre, including two sides of the conference centre, to a rally at Whitworth Park, starting at 2pm.

 

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