Private finance ‘draining’ NHS trusts
Submitted by Freedom on Jun 22 2006 11:00
In the wake of a renewed drive to expand Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) across the public sector, it has been revealed that earlier projects have been draining cash at the expense of Trust-owned properties.
PFI allows companies to take out private loans to build major projects such as new hospitals, which are then underwritten and repaid by state funds over long periods of time.
Mental health worker interview
Submitted by Freedom on May 19 2006 13:33
Following reports that the mentally ill are being abandoned, Robert Allen interviewed Jim, a worker in the mental health system.
RA: The Healthcare commission are saying that mental health for over 65s virtually does not exist. Are you aware of this concern?
Jim: I used to work in a unit that worked exclusively with people over retirement age with mental health problems. I'm certainly not going to say it was a gold star service but "virtually does not exist" seems a little strong.
More NHS job cuts
Submitted by libcom on May 17 2006 11:00
Another 1,000 jobs are to be axed in the health service, this time from the relatively new NHS Direct, bringing the total job losses across the sector to 13,000 over the past few months.
Citing a £15m deficit, health bosses intend to shut centres at Doncaster, Scunthorpe, York, Chester, Bolton, Preston, Chorley, Southport, Cambridge, Croydon, Brighton and Kensington over the next 18 months.
1990 - Emergency! Ambulance Strike
Submitted by libcom on May 15 2006 22:11
The following leaflet was produced and distributed to ambulance pickets in February 1990, less than 2 months before the Poll Tax riots. It refers to a national day of action on January 30th 1990 in support of the ambulance drivers strikes that had been going on for some time.
Swindon hospital to axe up to 200 jobs
Submitted by Steven. on May 10 2006 11:00
GMB, Britain’s general union, attacked plans by the management of the Great Western Hospital in Swindon to axe up to 200 jobs, 99 of which were likely to involve redundancy.
Trade unions at the Great Western Hospital were told today (4 May) that the Trust needed to make £2. 2m in savings per annum as a result of a financial deficit. The Trust is required to achieve a balanced budget this year and faces a potential deficit of £5m.
NHS: the deepening crisis
Submitted by Freedom on Apr 29 2006 13:33
Richard Griffin summarises some of the effects the NHS funding crisis is having around the country.
John (an alias) works for a primary care trust in the north west of England. His partner is a nurse at a University Hospital NHS trust. John’s trust is about to merge with four other primary care trusts. He has been told that his job is at risk. His wife’s post could be one of the 1,000 jobs that will axed to balance the hospital’s books.
NHS cuts - mentally ill abandoned
Submitted by Freedom on Apr 25 2006 13:33
As cuts to the National Health Service deepen, the mentally ill are being left to fend for themselves in what could be a crisis much worse than Margaret Thatcher's botched Care in the Community scheme*.
Reports are rampant that health authorities are making savage cuts to their psychiatric services, while a review of the NHS suggests that psychiatric care has never been more crucial to British society, especially to the over-65s.
NHS job losses grow - as does opposition
Submitted by libcom on Apr 8 2006 11:36
According to health union Unison nearly 7,000 job losses have now been announced across the NHS - with more to come.
They include a 1,000 posts at NHS Direct and North Staffs University Hospital Trust, 160 at Medway NHS Trusts in Kent and 300 at the Royal United Hospital, Bath.
NHS: 'Blame the Workers.' Seriously?
Submitted by Freedom on Apr 7 2006 13:33
Longer waiting lists, delayed treatment, redundancies, staff training slashed, patients discharged from hospital too quickly, public health programmes at risk - the NHS is in crisis.
increasing its budget from £34 billion in 1997 to £92 billion this year the NHS is facing a deficit of around £800 million. How did it go wrong?
Abuse of power in the NHS - the Kerr Haslam Inquiry
Submitted by libcom on Apr 6 2006 13:33
Ellen Kemp looks into the sexual abuse scandal involving vulnerable people that didn’t rock the nation.
In July 2005 the Kerr Haslam Inquiry reported its findings to the Minster of Health. Unlike of the Shipman inquiry or the inquiry into the deaths of babies in Bristol, this report has not made the headlines.
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