Is the NHS really safe in Tory hands?

First topic message reminder :

Here is a news item from North Yorkshire which never made it onto the national headlines

A York-based practice has written to its patients offering them a range of minor treatments privately, claiming they are not funded by the local NHS.

Doctors' leaders said this could be the start of a worrying trend due to the squeeze on finances and NHS overhaul.

The letter, seen by the BBC, said local health chiefs had stopped funding a range of services, but added they could still have them done privately at a number of clinics, including one owned by the practice.

These included removing skin tags from £56.30 to treating benign tumours for £243.20.

Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association, added: "The dire finances of many trusts means that many more NHS treatments are likely to become unavailable in the future".

Well there you have it....this Tory government has finally angered Midwives......

Midwives to strike after Jeremy Hunt scraps 1% pay rise
Industrial action together with other NHS staff is first in Royal College of Midwives’ 133-year history

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Midwives will go on strike for the first time as part of concerted industrial action by NHS staff over the government’s rejection of a recommended 1% pay rise.

They will walk out for four hours between 7am and 11am on 13 October alongside members of other unions representing NHS staff.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is staging the first walkout in its 133-year history after members in England voted by a margin of more than four to one to strike.

On a 49.4% turnout 82.2% said they were prepared to take part in a strike, with just 17.8% against. “This is a resounding yes from our members. It could not send a clearer signal about the level of discontent on this issue to those denying them a very modest 1% pay increase,” said the RCM chief executive, Cathy Warwick.

Good on you RCM, IF I WAS STILL A STAFF NURSE, I WOULD BE JOINING YOU.

C'mon Nurses everywhere, as long as the patients are safe, walk out with the RCM in support, all hospital staff everywhere where are you supporting this action no news of you, c'mon NUPE get all your troops out everywhere in support.

Companies with links to Tories ‘have won £1.5bn worth of NHS contracts’

'Unite' research claims 24 MPs and peers who backed health reforms have links to 15 private healthcare companies.

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Rich get richer, money goes to money, fat cats get fatter.

If you believe what we have been told, Stuart, there is absolutely nothing to worry about ....

NHS Party pledges October 2014

Pledging to ring-fence NHS spending for another five years, Cameron sought to neutralise what has traditionally been a Labour issue.

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Miliband: We can properly fund our NHS, £2.5 billion more by raising taxes on some of the richest in our society.

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The Liberal Democrats are committed to delivering better care for everyone.

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UKIP Head of policy Tim Aker confirmed UKIP’s commitment to the NHS free at the point of delivery.

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Now OW which one of those would you trust honestly?
Certainly not Cameron, or the lib/dems, or the UKIPs.
That leaves Labour at the last resort and last hope hoping Ed begins to fight his corner.

If Andrew Lansley was a doctor, he would be facing disciplinary action for his impact on patient care

Extracts from an article by J.S.Bamrah and Kailash Chand OBE:-

"The NHS is steadily being driven blindfolded to a US-style insurance-based scheme, divorced from high quality treatment.

The reforms were predicted to be like a slow train crash at the time, and indeed that has been proven to be the case. The 'new' NHS is now more fragmented than ever before. It has no primacy over provision, and money is squandered over lost causes such as procurement of contracts and fighting competition from within.

The NHS has already simply become a logo which can be brandished on a transport vehicle or a clinic even though the incumbents might be a shareholder in a plc."

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Not only disciplinary action Ivan, hopefully he would be struck off immediately.

You might get a measure of the priority given to the NHS by the Honourable Members who have voted themselves an 11% pay-rise whilst limiting most health workers to 1%.

Disgusting is it not OW? should be the other way round should it not?

oftenwrong wrote:-
.....whilst limiting most health workers to 1%

Where jobs have incremental pay, they are essentially delaying the correct remuneration for the post for as long as it takes to reach the top of the scale. 'Increments' have never previously been considered as pay rises. What Jeremy Hunt has done now is to say that anyone receiving an increment doesn't get the 1%. Therefore, in effect 55% of NHS workers are getting no pay rise at all.

Bloody disgusting Ivan, I am certainly glad that i'm not now working in the NHS, or as I was a shop steward I would have been calling for strike action immediately.

Simon Stevens, of NHS England, danced around BBC Radio questions about privatisation like a ballerina, whilst insisting that extra money must be injected.

It's possible that Mr Stevens knows precisely where that money will come from.

More tax increases one expects OW, and no pay rises for the normal workers, but mps still get a nice big one to swell their bank balances

Yes Ivan get Labour to put those posters up all over prior to the G.E

In today's newspaper did you see the double page article stating how many Tories bought shares in private health care prior to them selling off the NHS? and how much profit they have made?
Nick Clegg, Cameron himself, Hague,Duncan smith,hunt,lansley, osborne, fallon,hammond,david davis, liam fox,redwood,cable, they bought shares in or the company altogether between them that sells beds and items needed for private hospitals to buy from.

Which paper did you decide on in the end Stu?

Daily Mirror luv and independent online if I want it. You were right about the Guardian IMHO too.

Shame, really - the Guardian has some great writers, but I do think Alan Rusbridger leans to the right a bit these days

Well it is the Observer on a sunday, and in my old days that was to the right.

Today was the day Andy Burnham called out those 62 Tory MPs with links to private health:-

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Yes I mentioned it on the 18th Ivan, with regards to the tories that had bought shares and links into private health.
The profit they were making too?

You want fair in Politics? Perhaps emigration may be an option.

No comment OW, unless you wish to emigrate?

Another term in office though Ivan and people will either need private health insurance, as like the USA, and those that don't will either die or go to the free hospitals that's if they can find one?

Love that cartoon - really shows up the attitude to public services


They do speak a different language

Tory attitude altogether is it not Phil, makes you want to puke.

That is where they all should be Phil.

Now nobody on this forum should be saying yes to that surely? the NHS is never going to be safe in the Tories hands.

However, there is the chance that, by splitting the potential Labour vote, members of this forum may very well be instrumental in enabling this very outcome - to my mind, the ONLY possible safeguard against privatisation of the NHS and complete dismantling of our public services will be a convincing Labour win in 2015 - it behoves us all, in any way we can, to work towards this

With what it looks like only the English voting bloody Tory it looks like a bloody return to power for those moronic bastards.

boatlady wrote:However, there is the chance that, by splitting the potential Labour vote, members of this forum may very well be instrumental in enabling this very outcome - to my mind, the ONLY possible safeguard against privatisation of the NHS and complete dismantling of our public services will be a convincing Labour win in 2015 - it behoves us all, in any way we can, to work towards this

Clearly, boatlady. Tories who dislike Cameron and disagreed with Coalition will nevertheless
ALWAYS VOTE TORY.

What makes Labour soi-disant supporters suppose that they can enjoy the privilege of dissent at no cost?

There is cost whichever way you turn these days OW.

Reproduced from "Private Eye" through courtesy of twitter:

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Nice one OW,