Possible government rethink on NHS private finance
initiative welcomed by Unite
26 June 2009
A possible government rethink into the ‘flawed and expensive’
private financing of NHS hospitals has been welcomed by Unite, the
largest union in the country.
Unite, which is campaigning strongly against the privatisation
of the NHS, was commenting on an interview by health minister, Lord
Darzi in which he said the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) ‘needs
to be looked at.’
Lord Darzi told BMA News: ‘That model of funding may have been the
right model but I have no doubt that the Department (of Health)
will be appraising whether that it is still the model for the
future or whether there are other, better models.’
‘Quality is a moving target and PFIs have been very successful
and might be in the future but it needs to be looked at.’
Unite National Officer for Health, Karen Reay said: ‘At long
last, the government is beginning to realise that PFI is a flawed
and expensive exercise that continues to consume billions of pounds
in costly contracts for the enormous profit of private companies.
This is money that could be better spent on frontline services for
patients and clients.’
‘Lord Darzi comments are to be welcomed – there is a chink of
light at the end of the tunnel. However, when he talks about
‘better models for the future’, we hope he means that the PFI
experiment is abandoned, and not that the whole sorry process
should be accelerated. We shall be seeking clarification from
government on this point.’
Karen Reay welcomed the results of a BMA News survey which
revealed that more than 90% of doctors were worried about the
future of their local health services if they were left to market
forces.
She said: ‘This shows that right across the health service from
GPs to health visitors to ambulance staff there is a broad
coalition of health professionals opposed to the creeping tide of
marketisation of the NHS.’
-ends-
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
For further information, please ring: Karen Reay, National
Officer, Health 07798 531 004; David Fleming, National Officer,
Health 07798 531013; Shaun Noble, Communications Officer (Health
Sector) 020 7420 8951 or 07768 693 940
Unite recently launched The Patchwork Privatisation of Our
Health Service – a special report which highlights how
private companies – with strong government encouragement - are
taking over large swathes of the health service, including GP
practices, with adverse knock-on affects for patients, clients, and
the employment conditions of staff.
The report, which is a key stone of Unite’s Health B4 Profit
campaign, also includes a checklist on how members, and the public
can fight back against this ‘new market system’ which is consuming
billions of pounds in costly contracts for private companies that
could be better spent on patient care.
The Patchwork Privatisation of Our Health Service – a special
report can be downloaded from www.unitetheunion.org/health
and then clicking on: Unite Health Sector web page: www.unitetheunion.org/health
Unite/CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA website:
www.unitetheunion.org/cphva
Unite is the largest union in the UK. Its health sector
has seven professional sections: the Community Practitioners’
and Health Visitors’ Association, the Mental Health Nurses
Association, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, the Society of
Sexual Health Advisers, the Medical Practitioners’ Union, College
of Healthcare Chaplains, and the Hospital Physicists
Association.
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