Report of Reading Trades Union Council’s event:
Help Save the NHS
Chair: Nada
Al-Sanjari (Vice President, RTUC)
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| Chair and Speakers for RTUC's 'Help Save the NHS' event |
Date/Time: 16 January 2017, 19.00-21.00
Venue: Reading
International Solidarity Centre, London Street, Reading
Speakers: Merry
Cross (DPAC); Kevin Jackson (Unison); Kevin Brandstatter (GMB)
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| RTUC's 'Help Save the NHS' event |
With about
thirty persons in attendance, Nada Al-Sanjari, Reading Trades Union Council
Vice President and chair for the evening, introduced the speakers: Merry Cross
representing Disabled People Against Cuts; Kevin Jackson representing the
health workers’ union Unison; and Kevin Brandstatter representing the health
workers’ union GMB.
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| Merry Cross of Disabled People Against Cuts |
Merry spoke
first, declaring that the Conservatives are ripping up society, social care and
the NHS. She talked about physical and mental impairment being a diverse range
of characteristics which people live with. Disability – or disablement – is the
oppression people suffer due to their impairment. All people in society need to
take on some key facts: while around ten percent of the population are
disabled, impairment can happen overnight, instantly and is unplanned – leading
to immediate disablement. Discrimination against the impaired, therefore,
should be everyone’s concern. ‘Today it’s me; tomorrow it could be you!’ Merry
pointed out. DPAC has been disappointed with solidarity from other groups
hitherto, including trade unions.
Merry next
turned her attention to current specific issues. The threatened closure of the
hydrotherapy pool at the Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) would mean that,
without hydrotherapy, so many more people would require hospital care. [RTUC
had invited Merry to bring along a petition to save the hydrotherapy pool and a
number of new supporters signed up during the course of the evening.]
More
generally, Merry asserted that austerity affects women and the disabled most.
Department for Work and Pensions assessments (Work Capability Assessments,
Disability Living Allowance assessments, Industrial Injuries Disablement
Benefit medical assessments, Veterans UK assessments) are being used to throw
people off benefits; some have died, some suffer malnutrition. Assessments can
result in the removal of a disabled person’s car – before their appeals is
heard. This increased lack of mobility leads to isolation, depression – and
visits to the GP, putting more pressure on the NHS.
Social care
has been reduced so that no night assistance is received by many people in
need. People who require assistance going to the toilet are made to wear
incontinence pads – though they are not incontinent! And the pads – which were
once supplied on the NHS – now have to be paid for. Dignity is under attack –
and the shift in caring responsibilities from professionals to family members is
straining relationships.
The
introduction of the Bedroom Tax has disproportionately affected disabled
persons. Many have been forced to give up houses which have been specially
adapted for their needs – to move into smaller properties not adapted. Again,
this results in more visits to the NHS.
As Merry
was not able to remain for the whole evening, the chair invited discussion and
questions immediately following her talk. One audience member noted the
disappearance of public telephones as particularly affecting the poor,
including the disabled poor. Two related questions were: ‘What can trade unions do
to assist DPAC?’ and ‘Can trade unions affiliate to DPAC?’ Merry answered that
DPAC’s main need is funds, as some hearing impaired members require
interpreters. In addition, trade unions can support campaigns, help hold
banners and undertake leafleting. Merry saw no reason why trade unions couldn’t
affiliate, though pointed out that DPAC is not a registered charity. A final
question asked ‘What support do disabled people receive from the Equality
Commission?’ Merry replied that the Commission has been largely emasculated and
there is little they can do with their current powers.
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| Kevin Jackson, Unison's Berkshire and Healthcare Branch Secretary |
Kevin
Jackson, the secretary of Unison’s Berkshire and Healthcare Branch, spoke next.
He began by observing that, while he’s been active in the local NHS for ten
years, he’s watched its sharp decline since 2010. Before the 2015 general
election, the head of the NHS declared that the service required £30 billion.
Following the election, £8 billion has been provided and £20 billion worth of
savings have been demanded.
In January
2016, the government established 44 areas and requested that each draft up a Sustainability
and Transformation Plan. The Reading area is covered by the Buckinghamshire,
Oxfordshire and (West) Berkshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (BOB
STP) [the Full Draft of which was published in December 2016 and can be found
here: http://www.oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Draft-Bucks-Oxfordshire-Berkhsire-West-STP.pdf;
a summary available here: http://www.oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Draft-BOB-STP-Public-Summary.pdf].
The BOB STP
proposes a ‘review’ of community hospitals (i.e., closures); a ‘review’ of the
staff mix (i.e., replacing nurses with health assistance); and a ‘review’ of
doctors’ surgeries (i.e., closures). £500 million is proposed to be saved by
2020. This is the destruction of the NHS. How about increasing corporation tax?
How about raising income tax? Some CEOs earn more in three days than the
average annual pay of their employees. The government has a slim majority – we need
to expose the lies on health funding and challenge all health cuts. The BOB STP
is not achievable if the NHS is to survive.
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| Kevin Brandstatter, GMB National Organising Officer |
The final
speaker was Kevin Brandstatter, National Organising Officer for the GMB union
with many members working in health care. Kevin began by asserting that ‘last
week was the worst for the NHS!’ The Red Cross declared a ‘humanitarian crisis’;
cancer treatments were cancelled for the first time; people are dying in beds
in corridors. Meanwhile, the health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is gloating from the
sale of his internet business, Hotcourses, for £17 million (his 49% share) which
makes money from state education. The deal will make him the richest person in
the cabinet.
The NHS
budget has gone up one percent per year, but its costs have inflated by four
percent per year. Although the NHS was promised £8 billion following the 2015
general election, £4 billion was already earmarked for deficit reduction – so will
not go towards health care. The two percent increase in council tax to support
social care is not enough to cover current needs. The BOB STP proposals do not
address the problem of training and retaining medical staff – due to their poor
wages. Instead it proposes raising productivity – i.e., staff working harder
for the same money. It is also considering privatising ‘back office’ functions –
thus taking public money out of the NHS. The STPs are encouraging private
health insurance firms and boosting private health care providers.
Under the
Tories, the NHS is set to become a rump service for the unemployed, the elderly
and those in precarious employment. Trades councils need to organise
opposition. On 4 March there will be a National Demonstration to Defend Our NHS
[see: https://www.facebook.com/events/1771664639725061/]. Labour parties and trade unions must work together. This is a class
issue. Working people need to fight back.
Following
the two trade union speakers, questions and discussion were invited from the
floor. One audience member mentioned that John McDonnell, when addressing Unite
members earlier that day, stated that current government plans are to cut taxes
by £70 billion over five years. We need to stop that and fund the NHS. The
speaker also mentioned that private companies are taking over Trusts (Capita in
Norfolk, eg.) and making money out of the NHS. Kevin Jackson replied that
private care homes are closing due to cost – and there is no public option
available to fill the gap.
Another
audience member suggested councils set deficit budgets and refuse to implement
cuts. He asked ‘where is the national strike over attacks on the NHS, the Trade
Union Bill, etc.? Kevin Brandstatter said that, despite the British Medical
Association (BMA) not being a member of the Trades Union Congress, trade unions
are supporting junior doctors’ actions and other BMA initiatives. Labour
councillor, Graeme Hoskin (Reading’s Lead Councillor for Health) replied that
councils can’t set deficit budgets; the government would take direct control of
the council and local democracy would be lost. On the Trade Union Act, Graeme
stated that Reading Borough Council (RBC) will not abide by its provisions despite
it being law. He also pointed out that RBC has an ethical wage agreement with
Unison though funding is being squeezed and it is becoming difficult to sustain
it. He asserted that the answer to the NHS crisis is ultimately political – a change
in government is required to save it.
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| Cllr Gaeme Hoskin, Reading Borough Council's Lead Councillor for Health |
John Ennis,
Labour councillor for Southcote Ward, publicised Reading & District Labour
Party’s National Campaign Day around the NHS & Social Care on 21 January (see
https://events.labour.org.uk/event/32498).
[For Wokingham Constituency Labour Party’s similar initiative, see https://events.labour.org.uk/event/32352.]
He agreed that Labour parties and trade unions need to work together and the
local Labour Party needs to overcome elements within the party which refuse to
circulate trade union information.
Other
comments from the audience were: 1) the press and media in general are attempting
to normalise the crisis in the NHS; 2) the USA spends c. 17% of national wealth
on health services while we spend less than Germany, France and other G20
countries; 3) We need materials for activists to use to campaign for the NHS; 4)
we need to publicise coaches and subsidised travel to the 4 March National
Demonstration to Defend Our NHS.
After two
hours of informative presentations and general discussion and questions, Nada
thanked the speakers and audience on behalf of Reading Trades Union Council and
encouraged attendees to sign Merry’s petition to save the RBH hydrotherapy pool.
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| The Morning Star, 14-15 January 2017 |
