Coalition myth of ring fenced NHS exposed, says Unite
20 October 2010
The comprehensive spending review (CSR) has ‘driven a coach and
horses’ through the coalition myth that expenditure on the NHS is
ringfenced, Unite, the largest union in the country, said today
(Wednesday 20 October).
Unite, which has 100,000 members in the health service, was
commenting on the CSR which announced that the NHS would receive a
0.4 per cent real terms increase above inflation over the next four
years.
But Unite argues that this is nowhere near enough to meet the
increasing demands on the NHS from an expanding population, a
growing segment of which is elderly; and also the advances in
medicine and drug treatments.
Unite national officer for health, Karen Reay, said: ”There are
two easy alternative strategies to ring fence the NHS – firstly,
stop the expensive reorganisation and privatisation heralded in the
white paper.
”And, secondly, look at different ways of cutting the deficit by
investing in the economy to create jobs; and cracking down hard on
the tax loopholes that allow rich organisations and individuals to
run rings around the tax authorities.
”It should also be noted that demographic changes, technological
advances, and the impact of the government’s deeply regressive
budget in June on people’s living standards will all put the NHS
under even greater strain.
”The NHS has been charged with finding £20 billion ‘efficiency
savings’ from now until 2014/15.
”The re-organisation that will result from the privatisation of the
NHS in England is going to cost £3 billionn.
”Health secretary, Andrew Lansley, should stop peddling the myth
that the NHS is ring fenced from the cuts – it is not. The CSR has
driven a coach and horses through that conjuror’s illusion.
”George Osborne has said that the job cuts will come through
‘natural wastage’ – but our NHS members are already receiving ‘at
risk’ letters and at a local level, we are already seeing job
losses and the deletion of staff posts. The coalition is playing
hard, fast and loose with the truth.
”Mr Lansley should listen to GPs, patient groups and the British
public who all value the principles of the NHS, and not those
private healthcare companies greedy for quick profits at the
expense of patient care.”
Unite said that the funding for the health services in Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland will also be hit, because, while there
is the so-called ‘real increase’ in NHS spending, the overall block
grants that the devolved institutions receive from Whitehall will
be reduced.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information, please ring Karen Reay on 07798 531004
and/or Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
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