UNISON, the UK’s largest health union, today welcomed plans to cut waiting lists and improve care for the chronically sick, but warned that by relying on the private sector to increase capacity, they are undermining and damaging the NHS.
Karen Jennings, UNISON’s Head of Health said:
“The Government has a choice and that choice should be concentrating on building up capacity in the NHS rather than developing the private sector. People, don’t want to surf the internet to find the hospital with the shortest waiting list or the best facilities. UNISON’s choice and the peoples’ choice would be decent local hospitals, shorter waiting times and comprehensive community services.
“The Government must know that any expansion of the private sector will be at the expense of the NHS. Private health companies will be circling like sharks, poaching valued staff and lining their pockets with money that rightly belongs to the NHS.
“And it cannot be wise to make any announcement on foundation hospitals until we see the results of the Government’s own review of foundation hospitals and their effect on the wider health economy”.
ends