STAFF ‘VICTORY’ AS TOWER HAMLETS BACKS DOWN OVER NHS SOCIAL
ENTERPRISE PLANS
Plans by NHS Tower Hamlets to hive off NHS services into a
social enterprise have been withdrawn, following large-scale staff
protests.
Unite, the largest union in the country, hailed the move as ‘a
victory for common sense’ and a tribute to the united stand taken
by the employees. The union now wants to work constructively with
the trust management to strengthen NHS services in one of the most
deprived areas in the country.
The trust’s project board informed a staff side meeting that
they would be approaching the London Strategic Health Authority and
Department of Health to request that the trust remains a direct
provider for the next two years.
Unite National Officer for Health, Karen Reay said: ‘This is a
victory for common sense and a tribute to the staff’s united
opposition to breaking-up the provision of NHS services. We now
wish to work constructively with the management to ensure that
NHS-provided services continue to meet the health needs of the
ethnically diverse population.’
Unite and other staff side unions will be holding a rally when
the trust’s board meets at Aneurin Bevan House, 81 Commercial Rd,
E1 at 4.00pm on Thursday, 11 March in support of the decision to
remain in the NHS.
The decision of NHS Tower Hamlets to row back on its plans for a
social enterprise - which are commercial organisations, one step
removed from the NHS - comes after the Department of Health’s
announcement that the NHS should be ‘the preferred provider’ of
choice.
This means that outside providers can only be asked to tender if
a trust is deemed to be failing and has not taken remedial
measures.
Karen Reay said: ‘We will be monitoring how the situation
develops in the coming months, as we believe that fragmenting NHS
services to organisations, such as social enterprises, will be a
disaster for the NHS.’
-ends-
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
• Unite has welcomed the government’s statement, made last
autumn, that the NHS is ‘the preferred provider’ of choice when it
comes to delivering services, rather than private sector
organisations.
• In his letter to the chief executives of the strategic
health authorities and primary care trusts, NHS Chief
Executive, David Nicholson said: ‘The NHS as the preferred
provider is about getting the best care for patients and looking
after the NHS staff who care for them. Our aim is to ensure that
NHS staff are treated fairly and engaged in decisions.’
• If a social enterprise loses its contracts to, for example,
a North American private healthcare company in five years time,
jobs could be lost and services to the public could become
fragmented. The ethos of a NHS providing a unified, joined-up
service for patients could disappear
• The Patchwork Privatisation of Our Health Service – a
special report can be downloaded from www.unitetheunion.org/health
and then clicking on Health B4 Profit campaign.
For further information, please ring:
Karen Reay, National Officer,
Health
07798 531 004
Shaun Noble, Communications Officer (Health Sector)
020 7420
8951
07768 693
940
Unite Health Sector web page: www.unitetheunion.org/health
Unite/CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA website:
www.unitetheunion.org/cphva
