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Action & Campaigns Defend the NHS

Solidarity with Resident Doctors

A living wage for all health staff!Save our NHS! Doctors in Unite the Union support resident doctors fighting to restore their living standards and conditions after long-term government attacks.A doctor qualifying in 1985 after five years study had paid no tuition fees. A doctor qualifying this year has paid £46,250 fees, with average debt £50,000-£90,000.In […]

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data Uncategorized

From citizens to corporate ‘chattels’; the ‘neoliberation’ of the NHS

By Martin Blanchard This article is based upon a talk about how our healthcare data is to be used to support our ambition for ‘sustainable’ healthcare, and perhaps more importantly it seems, it is about our government’s expressed ambition that it will ‘kick-start’ economic growth and enable us to become some sort of ‘AI superpower.’ […]

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Defend the NHS Government Policy Privatisation Uncategorized

‘GPs don’t want practices nationalised or privatised – but many want change’

Article in Labour List by Dr Coral Jones, Chair of Doctors in Unite Dr Jones sets out the case for a salaried GP option as an important part of revitalising GP services. Full article here: https://labourlist.org/2023/06/nhs-health-plans-labour-gps-wes-streeting-reform/ “In 2022, Doctors in Unite published Primary Care and Public Health: A Vision for Revitalising General Practice. This radical document […]

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Defend the NHS Government Policy

NHS Crisis – who profits, and what are they doing with our healthcare data?

Talk given by Martin Blanchard (KONP data Working Group / Doctors in Unite) for the ‘NHS Crisis: who profits?’ meeting KONP Merseyside 12th July 2023. I will not discuss the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill in this article because the KONP data Working Group have provided a full briefing and letter for MPs for […]

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DiU Policy Statements Government Policy

Doctors in Unite reject government plans to force the sick to work

Government proposals to force GPs to sign fewer sick notes for workers have been rejected by Doctors in Unite, which represents GPs and doctors operating in the NHS. Detailed government proposals were first briefed to the media earlier this month, indicating that the chancellor could announce in next month’s budget changes to the sick note […]

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Defend the NHS Privatisation

Opposition parties should oppose destructive deals with the private sector

The founding principles of the NHS have long been under attack, but now it seems that some politicians from both Conservative and Labour parties are predicting its impending collapse unless radically reformed. The latter, of course, involves diverting even more money to health care and insurance companies, and propping up a small, inefficient and often […]

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Defend the NHS

The NHS can’t take austerity 2.0

Dr John Puntis tells it like it is in this article in Tribune Magazine. The NHS is on its knees, and the government’s remedy is more austerity. Make no mistake this is deliberate, cold eyed destruction of our most cherished national institution, and at the same time social murder of the working class. The article […]

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Privatisation Uncategorized

Briefing on Privatisation within the NHS in London -examples based on reports from members of London KONP groups over the last few months 2021. [1]

Martin Blanchard July 2021 This briefing is not a detailed report of recent privatisation of healthcare in London, but rather examples of the type of privatisation that is occurring with links to details about the companies involved. If these examples are occurring in all five incipient ICSs (North West London -NWL, North Central London-NCL, North […]

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Defend the NHS Privatisation

Revealed: Boris Johnson’s controversial policy chief leading secretive NHS task force

Munira Mirza heading up group meeting ‘daily or weekly’ to plan ‘radical NHS shakeup’. Open Democracy 19.11.20 Boris Johnson’s government has for the first time confirmed the existence of a prime ministerial task force which is reportedly planning a “radical shake-up of the NHS”. Freedom of Information disclosures to openDemocracy show the new “No.10 Health and […]

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Defend the NHS Government Policy H&S at work Hospitals and IPC Privatisation Staying safe Transmission Workplace COVID

One Stop Shops – trick or treat?

The media recently highlighted the fact that NHS England has announced: “The NHS is set to radically overhaul the way MRI, CT and other diagnostic services are delivered for patients . . . . Community diagnostic hubs or ‘one stop shops’ should be created across the country, away from hospitals, so that patients can receive […]