'Roll back the privatisation of the NHS, Andy'
26th August 2009
3,000 Unite members urge health secretary ‘to protect the soul
of the NHS’.
Unite presented a letter signed by 3,000 NHS members to the
Department of Health today (Wednesday, 26 August), calling on
health secretary Andy Burnham to halt the privatisation of the
health service.
The letter - that the members had emailed to Andy Burnham - was
presented at the Department of Health, London by Unite national
officer for health, Karen Reay.
The email campaign was part of Unite’s Health B4 Profit campaign
designed to preserve the NHS as ‘a publicly owned, publicly
accountable, universal and comprehensive health service managed and
run for the public good’.
Unite said that an estimated £20 billion would be spent on
creating the bureaucratic market infrastructure for privatisation –
money that could be better spent on frontline services.
Karen Reay said: "Today, we are asking Andy Burnham to protect
the heart and soul of the NHS in England and roll back these costly
and dangerous plans.
"The continuing vicious attacks by vested interests on President
Obama over his plans to provide healthcare for the estimated 47
million Americans currently without this safety net is a stark
warning of what awaits British citizens, if the mercenary forces of
privatisation are allowed to triumph."
ENDS
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
Journalists are warmly welcomed to attend to attend this event
at the Department of Health, Richmond House, Whitehall,
London at 10.30am on Wednesday, 26 August.
For further information, please ring: Karen Reay, national
officer, health 07798 531 004 or Shaun Noble, communications
officer (health sector) 020 7420 8951 or 07768 693 940.
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