Published: 26 November 2009
United in Demand for Ballot
Unite union health workers are demonstrating on Monday, 30 November at the failure of Kingston Primary Care Trust (PCT) to hold a ballot into hiving off NHS services into a social enterprise.
The demonstration will take place outside the PCT’s headquarters at Hollyfield Road, Surbiton when the PCT’s board meets at 2.00pm.
Unite is fighting plans to go-ahead with the social enterprise, as it contravenes Health Secretary Andy Burnham’s recent policy announcement that the NHS is ‘the preferred provider’ for services.
Unite, along with the other staff side unions, had asked managers at the Surrey trust, which covers 150,000 people, to hold a ballot of staff, as to whether they are in favour of transferring to a social enterprise – but this was rejected by the management.
The social enterprise, which is a commercial organisation, will be able to win – and lose – contracts to provide services to the NHS for a limited period of time.
Unite Regional Officer, Peter Storey said:
“Given the refusal of the management to consult staff on all the options, Unite is holding this protest, along with the other unions, to highlight the adverse affects that a social enterprise will have on the provision of NHS services for the 150,000 people covered by the PCT.
We want the PCT to hold a ballot of its staff to see whether they wish to join the social enterprise which is a body one-step removed from the NHS proper. That is the democratic thing to do.
Services in Kingston are not failing, so why are we dismantling the NHS? The Kingston public now needs to get involved to save the NHS they value”.
If the social enterprise loses its contracts to, for example, a North American private healthcare company in 5 years time, jobs could be lost and services to the Kingston public could become fragmented.
The ethos of a NHS providing a unified, joined-up service for patients could disappear.
Peter Storey continued:
“Social enterprises are a leap in the dark in terms of provision of services; the employment conditions and pensions of NHS staff that could be severely eroded, or even lost; and the viability of the financial model proposed, if VAT is charged on its services not directly related to health care, such as marketing and legal fees, and treatments that may not be regarded as essential, such as cosmetic surgery”.
Unite has welcomed the government’s statement, made in October 2009, that the NHS is ‘the preferred provider’ of choice when it comes to delivering services, rather than private sector organisations.
In his letter to the chief executives of the strategic health authorities and primary care trusts, NHS Chief Executive, David Nicholson said: ‘The NHS as the preferred provider is about getting the best care for patients and looking after the NHS staff who care for them. Our aim is to ensure that NHS staff are treated fairly and engaged in decisions.’
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