Commenting on a report published today (Tuesday) by NHS Providers, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“The report highlights the devastating impact of short-term planning and long-term underinvestment in health and social care. It lays bare the damaging effect on patients and staff.
“Health bosses clearly know services can no longer rely on goodwill to stay afloat, and that many of their staff are at breaking point.
“The report also hints that without greater investment more trusts will try to drive down costs by hiving off parts of the service to controversial subsidiary companies. This makes a mockery of NHS Improvement’s pledge that the health service will be the ‘best place to work’.
“When will the government admit that health and social care services are on their knees and take this national emergency seriously?
“Boris Johnson must stop this shameful decline by restoring funding to pre-austerity levels if the NHS as we know it is to survive.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Garfield Myrie T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07432 741 565 E: g.myrie@unison.co.uk
Sophie Goodchild T: 0207 121 5555 M: 07767 325 595 E: s.goodchild@unison.co.uk
