Saving the NHS

Yesterday a successful meeting was organised by the Leicester Campaign Against NHS Privatization in the town centre to inform local residents about the ongoing attacks on the NHS. Critically, the meeting was convened to also consider what actions can be taken to safeguard public service values and the principles underpinning the NHS.

The featured main speaker at the meeting was the inspiring Dr Louise Irvine, who is the Chair of the successful Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign, that is, the campaign which saw the biggest community mobilisation in living memory to defend a local hospital and defeated the Health Secretary in the Court of Appeal. Indeed, a phenomenal 25,000 people took the the streets last year in Lewisham to save their Accident and Emergency service.

Issues that have been the focus of local campaigns in recent months have included the disgusting performance of the increasingly notorious corporate profiteers Arriva and Interserve in mis-running health services (see “Sack Arriva” and “Thatcher’s Legacy of NHS Butchery”).

Much talk revolved around how anti-cuts groups might work more effectively together to oppose the ongoing cuts being rained upon the public by all the political Parties of the rich (be they Labour or the Tories). On this score, two Labour MP’s were invited to attend the meeting, but unsurprisingly both had made their excuses and had even failed to pass on any statements of support or otherwise to be read out at the meeting.

On the other hand Councillor Wayne Naylor, who has recently quit the Labour Party out of frustration with their inability to represent the interests of the working-class was vocal in his support of the ongoing campaign to save the NHS.

In another positive step forward it was noted that the Leicester Campaign Against NHS Privatization is now working closely with Unite Community (the union); while a representative from the Fire Brigades Union — who were bravely defying the government by taking strike action yesterday (and on Thursday) – also spoke from the floor about the need for greater solidarity between unions and community groups.