Occupy and win - a manual for fighting hospital closures
Submitted by Steven. on Nov 8 2006 13:04
A pamphlet produced in 1984 by London Health Emergency which is a guide for hospital workers on how - and why - to occupy hospitals to prevent their closure.
Introduction
libcom.org have scanned and put this text online today (in November 2006) since the issue of widespread hospital closures is again sadly very pressing - though this time round by a Labour government.
NHS staff protest outside parliament
Submitted by Ramona on Nov 2 2006 14:30
Hundreds of NHS workers from 16 different Trade Unions rallied outside Parliament yesterday in opposition to health service privatisation.
United under the banner "NHS Together", doctors, nurses, midwives and support staff rallied in Parliament Square to protest at the pace of NHS reform, financial cutbacks and the government's use of the private sector in health care provision. The protestors were also joined by members of the National Pensioners Convention and the Keep Our NHS Public group.
Physiotherapy students protest against unemployment
Submitted by Ramona on Oct 25 2006 15:59
Hundreds of physiotherapy students and graduates have converged on Holyrood to lobby MSPs over their "limited chances" of finding employment.
A Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) poll found that four months after graduating, 81% of physiotherapists were still looking for their first job. The CSP claimed that 28,000 patients were currently on a waiting list to see a physiotherapist. The Scottish Executive said a number of recruitment initiatives were under way.
Mass demonstrations against NHS cuts
Submitted by Joseph Kay on Oct 14 2006 14:28
Thousands of people have been marching today against the ongoing NHS cuts that are part of ‘cost saving’ privatisation measures designed to create a for-profit health service.
Police said that 7,000 turned out in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, where local press and even Tory MPs (despite privatisation being a core Tory policy) have been publicly speaking out in support of the march against cuts at the local hospital.
Health
Our analysis of what is wrong with the UK health system and National Health Service, the reasons behind it, and what we as ordinary people can do about it.
One-day national NHS strike
Submitted by Joseph Kay on Sep 22 2006 09:03
Workers at the supply agency NHS Logistics have walked out on a symbolic one-day strike to protest the planned privatisation of the logistics service, in the first national NHS strike for 18 years.
NHS Logistics is due to be sold to the transport company DHL at the beginning of October, and little more action is planned except potential further one-day strikes. According to Unison, other public-sector workers including fire-fighters and nurses have been visiting the pickets to show solidarity.
Three day strike at Whipps Cross Hospital
Submitted by Mike Harman on Aug 31 2006 20:41
This week there was an escalation in the long running dispute betweeen cleaners, porters and switchboard staff, and their private employers at Whipps Cross Hospital in East London.
By yesterday lunchtime approximately forty workers were on the picket line for the first of three days of strike action involving around 200 members of staff, members of Unison. They are striking to gain "Agenda for Change" levels of wages, agreed three years ago but ignored by Rentokil Initial since they were due to come into force earlier this year.
More NHS Cuts?
Submitted by Joseph Kay on Aug 18 2006 08:12
BBC Report
Interesting points:
> apparently the plan is to centralise A&E into regional 'super centres' (the out of town superstore for health?)
London: Hospital porters and cleaners on strike
Submitted by libcom on Aug 15 2006 16:18
Porters, cleaners and switchboard staff employed by Rentokil Initial, based at Whipps Cross Hospital in East London, have been on strike since 21st July.
An agreement over pay and conditions was made in 2003, due to come into force in April 2006, several other East London hospitals agreed to the deal, only Rentokil at Whipps Cross has failed to honour it. The pay award is roughly equivalent to a £2 per hour raise, for staff who in some cases earn as little as £5.52 per hour, the agreement also included increases in leave entitlement.
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.
Can comment on articles and discussions