Battle for NHS will have impact overseas, nurses warn

The government’s attacks on the NHS could jeopardise plans in South Africa for a new national health service, nurses warned today.

UNISON is advising the South African nurses union DENOSA, as the union tries to steer its country’s public health care in the right direction.

But as DENOSA general secretary Thembeka Gwagwa observed: “If you look at what is happening in the UK with your NHS, sceptics in South Africa would look at what is being planned in my country and say that it will fail.”

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa represents 78,000 nurses. It is in constant discussion with the South African government over plans to introduce National Health Insurance (NHI): a revitalised public health care system and payment method.

A green paper proposes a free service at the point of care, to be phased in over 14 years modelled on the NHS.

This week DENOSA delegates were in London to attend the Commonwealth Nurses Federation conference and took the opportunity to take part in the Save Our NHS rally at Westminster, opposing the health and social care bill – where president Dorothy Matebeni spoke.

Later, they met UNISON health officers and branch international officers to discuss how a trade union works within an organisation such as the NHS, both developing and protecting the service.

“NHI is still at a conceptual level,” said Ms Gwagwa. “There is a green paper. But we realise that none of us knows where to start.

“Our coming to London has alerted us to the need to think carefully about the role we can play as a trade union in advising our health minister. At the moment, that is a healthy relationship. He won’t do anything without first consulting the health unions.”

Ms Gwagwa noted the parallels between the UK government’s attempts to privatise the NHS, and moves by private companies to get their teeth into NHI in South AFrica. This was one important area where DENOSA would be seeking UNISON’s advice.

“There is a danger that privatisation of the health service can take place under the guise of NHI. UNISON can alert us to the different, subtle ways in which that can happen, and prevent our country going in that direction.”

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