UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Tuesday 30 July 2013

September 29 – Stand up to the Tory Anti-NHS Lie Machine

‘The Tories and their camp followers invented 13,000 hospital deaths in hospitals ahead of a report by NHS chief Bruce Keogh. The figure was a complete fabrication, denounced by a mystified and angry Keogh. Cameron and Hunt are taking people for fools. The NHS remains the nearest we have to a national religion. The backlash when it comes, and it will, is going to be ferocious’ wrote Kevin Maguire in yesterday’s Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/opinion/news-opinion/kevin-maguire-david-cameron-smears-2100255

Every passing day confirms the importance of a massive turnout at the national demonstration in support of the NHS in Manchester on 29 September at the Tory Party Conference.

Yesterday we had the announcement of the withdrawal of NHS Direct from the disastrous 111 service and today the FT reports exclusively that ‘private sector companies are engaged in an “arms race” to win £5bn of National Health Service work being tendered including hospitals, mental healthcare, pathology and GP clinics in a move that could transform the future of healthcare in Britain. Around 160 large-scale contracts are currently being advertised to private sector bidders including seven that are worth more than £100m in value’ according to research commissioned by newspaper:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6424b29e-f60a-11e2-a55d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2aTAFk7ny

There’s no shortage of issues to demonstrate about in austerity Britain but the overwhelming message of 29 September must be a call to save our NHS:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial/tuc-22405-f0.cfm