A referendum on the NHS
Amanda Ramsay, former Labour councillor
Amanda Ramsay is a doctoral researcher at the University of Bristol, part of
the Productive Margins (regulating for engagement) project, which explores
community activism and digital engagement. Amanda is a former Labour
Councillor and Parliamentary Researcher for Graham Stringer MP.
Twitter - @AmandaRamsay
Andy Burnham has called for the next general election to be a referendum on the
NHS and David Cameron’s betrayal of our health care. I couldn’t agree more. The
only trouble is not many members of the public seem to know about the
government’s fragmentation of our National Health Service (NHS).
This is hardly surprising, as there was a near media blackout about the dismantling of
our health services, with a sale of our NHS to private, profit-orientated companies
now well underway across the country. At least 398 NHS community services all over
England - worth over a quarter of a billion pounds – have been put out to open
tender. Just scour the register of Parliamentary interests and Tory Party funders to see
why, with many of the successful private bidders holding links to the very politicians
who put a ‘for sale’ sign over the NHS.
“There was a near media blackout about the dismantling of our
health services”
Private companies are now hiding behind the trusted name of the NHS, which is now
nothing more than a name and logo in some instances. In Greater Manchester,
private bus company Arriva is now in charge of ambulances. Many will remember
what happened when the cleaning contracts of hospitals went out to tender and
often the cheapest bidder won: an MRSA epidemic.
All GP and primary health care \?????Y[? ][? H[? ?? ?]?]H????X]H?[?X?[??[Z\??[?[????\ ?
????K?\?H[?\[?[? ??Y[X?Y?UPS?????\?]H [?\?????[?[??[?\?H ?\???X?H??0??L ?[[??? X?X?[?^K?^ \?Y?[?[?[? ?^\? H ?Y?[][?? H??\??Y[? \?Y? ??Y? \? YX\? [?\??X?[?
?H? HX[ ????X[?\?HX? Y??X?]?[ HYX[?][ ?[X\?H?? ?\??X?\? ?[?H ?\]Z\?Y ??H ]?] ? [?\???? ?? \?H ??]Y\? ?\?[H\?[Y\??[?? ?]]?\????[?? ?YY [???][??\?K?\?? \??\ [X?\???][ ?\?H??? \?Z] Y ?X\?? \ ?[? Z\??[???YH???H ?X][?? ?]?]H ]Y[? ?YX[?[????\? ?Z] ????? ]Y[? ???]?? ][?\?K?]?????