[ship sews strike contes. geriatric care - all…]

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ship sews strike contes. geriatric care - all areas pursue socialist policies handicapped, psychiatry and returned to power it where there is probably little the public sector and There has to he a clear brought; in by the last nationalisation of all the The NHS is going to go commitment from thẹ Labour government. The private hospitals and the establishment of joint apart from the mentall Labour Party, that when it is tor stati, more intection, dirty wards.

They have increased staff side interest in bonus schemes because of the continuous low wage rises we've had over the past three years.

And they've meant an inevitable increase in private medicine.

The service to patients is declining. Some areas of high technology, because they are popular with doctors who control quite a lot of budgets, are holding up.

But basic services like, for example, hip replacements, are cut back.

The effect on patients is longer waiting lists and less time with doctors when they do actually get to see OR them.

2,000 general hospital beds have been lost in London in the last two years, and another 4,000 are due to go by 1988. Even in hospitals that remain open many casualty departments haye been completely closed or only operate on a 9am to 5pm basis.

This means longer waiting lists and further to travel. In Woolwich, they had quite a campaign to keep the casualty open because of the frequency of industrial accidents.

Occupations But over the last five years a fightback has developed - particularly in the last couple of years, since the Tories came to power.

People learnt from the first battles at Hounslow and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson hospitals.

They realised they could do something to stop the PHOTO. INHN HARRIS cuts. This has resulted in a much greater degree of unionisation, and stronger stewards' structures.

So my personal opinion is that although they are working under much more difficult conditions, health service workers have gone from demoralisation to a willingness to fight back.

But now Fowler has stated that even the small ort concessions made of 12-2% on top of the original 4% have got to be taken out of cash limits.

Any extra money we get above and beyond the 4% has got to be taken Ith from cash limits - so that to go from a 4% to a 6% wage increase will mean the loss of 110 nursing jobs in an average health authority.

More and more often doctors are telling patients that treatment is unavailable on the NHS but it can be got privately. A picture jobs, and moves to contract emerges . of a government out anclary services saci as tres timer basis to right determined to crush the laundry work But on the other hand NHS.

If the government wins it will mean a loss of services been seen in hospitals and to patients, a massive loss of ast will for the or no profit to be made. realth servicc. 6%-72% pay deal - a cut in real wages - we'll impose cuts and 'privatise' your job. That is the Tory government's message to the health workers.

The government has decreed a cutback in growth for the it of this year and a standst in new funding until April 1985. From next April there will be a freeze dental. jobs senior medical staff Meanwhile, other jobs Tories have merelycontinued that. There nt to a0 ехралcommitment and catering services.

Last week Social Services secretary Norman Fowler nervously disavowed a draft official circular - leaked in the Health and Social Services Journal - which proposed the contracting-out to private enterprise of thousands of jobs. But a couple of days later his deputy Geoffrey Finsberg was stressing that privatisation would go ahead. if not immediately on the drastic scale indicated in the circular.

rug companies without ompensation.

The struggles we are avolved in at present against uts and for decent wages vill only be effective if the 'ories are replaced with a overnment committed to genuine national health ervice which focusses on prevention and primary care.

The present reorganisaon, of the NHS looks more ffective from the consumer oint of view. But in many 'ays there is less input by eople who actually use the ealth service, particularly in iner city areas, where the ulk of health authority lembers live out in the reen belt and have no idea rhat it is actually like to live 1 an inner city area.

The Tories have also ttacked Community Health 'ouncils, the only bodies to present patients of the IHS. The Tories are very een to disband, the CHCs ut they have been unable to o so.

So instead, they have set ut to curtail their powers.

The lesson is that we -'orkers and the community • have to be in control of ur health service.

HWFC bulletin no.4 now out - 5p plus post from Anna Lunts 78 High St, Atherton, Lancs (0942 877296). Badges 20p each.

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Socialist Organiser, Thursday 22 July, 1982 Page 12

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~ JUDGES! Sel Sta

• HEALTH PARITY JUDGES! CHAIM But FULL won't pay THI the rent