- Conference
- 2006 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 30 December 2005
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Our NHS faces its gravest threat from Privatisation. The irony is that it is a Labour Government that seems intent on pushing Privatisation into areas even the Tories didn’t dare. New Labour ministers like Patricia Hewitt now talk openly about competition between hospitals. They have reintroduced the market into the NHS by for example, introducing “payments by results” and the formulation of Foundation Hospitals. Blair’s vision of the NHS is a market led, tax funded, privately run provider of basic core services, which in most places will be provided by the private sector. The Independent Sector Treatment Centres are an example as is the move towards outsourcing and wholesale privatisation of other services such as the Prescription Pricing Authority.
New Labour made its intentions clear by announcing the use of £3 billion of NHS funds to pay for the ISTCs immediately after the General Election. Their plans for the PCTs though watered down, will still mean thousands of job losses and many others transferred to the private sector. Blair’s “reforms” are nothing of the sort. They are Privatisation and unless he and New Labour is stopped, they will drive another nail into the coffin of our NHS. Therefore, this Conference resolves to:
1.Establish a broad coalition, linking up with local campaigns. This should include publicity to our members and the public, highlighting the extent of New Labour privatisation plans for our NHS;
2.Support the fight by MPs such as Frank Dobson who have denounced Blair’s plans;
3.Call a national demonstration on the issue of Defend our NHS and Stop Privatisation.