121. Fighting to save the NHS

The future of the NHS hangs in the balance. Nearly five million people are waiting for treatment. Covid has pushed our health services to the limit, but years of underfunding meant it was already in crisis before the pandemic. Waiting lists were already rising, as were the huge staff shortages. But rather than addressing these problems as a priority, the government is proposing more drastic reorganisation of the NHS. Thousands of NHS workers, in dozens of towns and cities, protested on Saturday 3 July against the Tories' insulting 1% pay offer. Just days later, on 5 July, it was announced that workers in the NHS will be awarded the George Cross medal. Not something that will pay the bills for the thousands of nurses who are forced to visit food banks. And then, the next day, the government presented its health and care bill in parliament, spelling out plans for further privatisation and even less democratic oversight of our NHS. Socialist Party members have been helping to organise numerous protests since. In this podcast we speak to a number of our members both before and after the 3rd of July about the struggle for a 15% pay rise and what the health and social are bill is trying to do to our NHS. Further reading here; Unite to fight Tory pay insults Build for strike action https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32850/28-07-2021/unite-to-fight-tory-pay-insults Public sector pay: NHS, teachers -Prepare for action! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32845/22-07-2021/public-sector-pay-prepare-for-action NHS: Kick out the privatisers - Fight for a 15% Pay rise https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32804/14-07-2021/kick-out-the-privatisers-fight-for-a-15-pay-rise Fight the health and care bill https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32732/30-06-2021/fight-the-health-and-care-bill Fight is on to save our NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs NHS after 3 July protests Trade unions must organise serious action https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32731/30-06-2021/nhs-after-3-july-protests-trade-unions-must-organise-serious-action Tories threaten to axe free prescriptions for older workers https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32808/14-07-2021/tories-threaten-to-axe-free-prescriptions-for-older-workers Scrap the privatising health and care bill For a publicly funded, democratically run, NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32807/14-07-2021/scrap-the-privatising-health-and-care-bill