06.10.10
Unison attacks NHS reforms, again
Following health secretary Andrew Lansley’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference, public service union Unison has again launched an attack on plans to reform the NHS.
General secretary of the union, David Prentis, said: “The public should not be fooled. Lansley’s plans for the NHS signal the biggest overhaul of the health service in its 62 year history. But this £80 billion gamble on patients’ lives will not pay off.
“The values at the heart of the health service – high quality, universal care based on need, not on ability to pay – will be totally undermined. Focus will shift away from patients, towards profit, as private companies move in and exploit our NHS. The drive to generate private income will see patients with the deepest pockets pushed to the front of the queue.
“It is a disgrace that Lansley is pressing ahead with his plans, despite the serious concerns of health professionals, including doctors, and health unions. Although he says he wants to put patients in the driving seat, these are just warm words. Lansley has not asked the public what they think, nor were these proposals in the Tory manifesto – nobody voted for them.”
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