George Parr on NHS privatisation, courtesy of YouTube and a recent book launch...
Meanwhile, because the irony of the above video is lost on some people, Richard Branson's Virgin Group has set up Virgin Healthcare - to try to find ways to make money out of primary care. Their plans appear to be to run clinics, in which GPs can rent space, where all the non-clinical staff (receptionists, and so on) will be employed by Virgin, and therefore not get NHS pay, terms and conditions, or pension rights.
If the idea of Richard Branson (who also, of course, makes money out of selling banking and, ah, health insurance) employing people to read your medical notes and make your doctor's appointments scares you, then you might want to join the following protests in Nottingham, Manchester and Leicester, where 'roadshows' by Virgin are being held this week:
Join us from 6.30pm on Tuesday 12 February at Nottingham Castle to tell
Virgin we don't want their healthcare - we want OUR NHS. Keep our NHS
public!
Nottinghamshire, Mansfield and Nottingham Trades Council (NMNTC) has
called a noisy lobby and protest outside the event, from 6.30pm. There
will be people attending from a number of trade unions, including
UNISON, UNITE, University and Colleges Union, and many others. The local
Keep Our NHS Public campaign will also be attending, as will members of
various political organisations. There will be banners, placards,
megaphones, and most importantly, ordinary people protecting their NHS.
The reason we are taking this action is that the NHS and public health
is too important to leave to the private sector. Ordinary people fought
for decades to win and defend our NHS, paid for with our money. Now
private companies such as Virgin want to make a profit from our health.
Why should our taxpayer's money be syphoned off as profits to private
individuals? Why is the government allowing and encouraging the breakup
of the NHS?
Don't let Branson get his hands on the NHS!
Protest Wed 20th Feb, Manchester
6pm – 7.30pm: Imperial War Museum
Trafford Wharfe Rd (nearest tram stop Broadway)
Richard Bransons Virgin group, having done such a great job with our
privatised railways and having put in a bid for Northern Rock assets is
now planning to move into Primary Healthcare.
UNISON has issued a strong statement: "We are absolutely opposed to the
move by Virgin Group into GP surgeries. It is deeply alarming that a
private company such as Virgin Group will be marketing its additional
services to potentially vulnerable patients when they are in need of
medical care as if they were visiting a gym.. . . (We should not) allow
health centres to be run by gym managers."
You are welcome to join our modest effort to make Virgin feel fully appreciated next Thursday when they come for their meeting with GPs at the National space Centre, Leicester.
Gather at the entrance to the car park off Corporation Rd (itself off Abbey Lane).