NHS ‘reforms’ receive massive thumbs down from Unite members,
survey reveals
25 May 2011
Nearly 90 per cent of Unite health sector members have ‘no
confidence’ in the coalition’s handling of the NHS ‘reforms’, a new
survey has revealed.
The massive vote of ‘no confidence’ from Unite - which has
100,000 members in the health service - comes as the coalition’s
‘listening exercise’ on the Health and Social Care bill draws to a
close.
The snapshot survey of specified professional groups represented
by Unite also revealed that two-thirds said that they had seen the
treatment and care of patients/service users reduced or rationed in
the last six months.
Unite national officer Rachael Maskell said: ”Those working in
the NHS have no confidence that the universal service that they
have dedicated their working lives to is safe in Tory hands – they
fear that it is going to be privatised and broken up for the
benefit of profiteering private healthcare companies. No matter how
it is dressed up.
”This survey confirms what we have been saying for the last year
– that services are already being cut or rationed as a result of
the government’s twin-pronged approach of planning to privatise the
NHS and enforcing £20 billion of so-called ‘efficiency savings’
over the next four years.
”The coalition has called for ‘a pause’ in the bill’s progress
while it considers the views of interested parties – it needs to
draw the conclusion that this is a flawed bill that needs to be
scrapped.
”It is ‘back to the drawing board’ time – Unite has proposed
that a royal commission is set-up to investigate the future demands
on and available resources for the NHS.”
The survey of 677 members ended this week. The professional
groups surveyed were: allied health professionals; applied
psychology, counselling and psychotherapy; Community Practitioners’
and Health Visitors’ Association; Society of Sexual Health
Advisors; and speech and language therapy.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information please contact Unite communications
officer Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
