The strike by NHS workers and comments by senior Tories have shown yet again that the coalition government cannot be trusted on the NHS. As staff walked out in support of their claim for a one per cent pay rise, some Conservatives were admitting NHS reorganisation was “our biggest mistake.”
Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Bridgwater and West Somerset, Mick Lerry, said:
“The strikes by health workers today, show once again that this Government is out of touch with the needs of the National Health Service. The independent review body received information from the government and unions, before reaching a conclusion that health workers should receive a 1% pay increase. Yet the Government refused to accept the findings of the review body and imposed their own pay award that has caused action by health workers
“There is already a shortage of key staff, which has led to bed closures in Somerset hospitals, due to the fact that there are not enough qualified nurses to meet the necessary ratio for patient care”
Labour’s shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham had this to say about Tory regrets on NHS reorganisation:
“If this is designed to bring patients and NHS workers back on side, then it won’t work and will only make them more furious. David Cameron’s re-organisation inflicted chaos on the NHS and has dragged it down. Patients, doctors and nurses pleaded with the government to stop it – knowing it would cause chaos – but they refused to listen back then and an apology now is no use. David Cameron ruled it out before the last election, broke his promise and brought forward the biggest NHS re-organisation ever at a cost of £3 billion. Patients can see A&Es in crisis and waiting lists rising – this mismanagement of the NHS proves David Cameron cannot be trusted with it. “
Heaven help this country and the world if a winter flu crisis meets a wide-spread ebola outbreak at a time when the so-called Alliance (let us never forget the part the Liberals played in this)have begun to dismantle the NHS in preparation for the big pharma in America to take advantage. This government is inept and very dangerous in creating chaos and division at a time when we should all be pulling together.Next MAY it has never been more important to get Mick Lerry into Parliament and Ed Milliband as our Prime Minister. By the By, can we rebut the constant carping at the beauty contest the media insists on running against Ed. It is not the X Factor! Politics is about policies not personality, we have had enough of the second-rate PR Merchants currently running this country!
Cameron and his cronies cannot be trusted with ANYTHING. They have been very reticent about TTIP, and this dangerous and undemocratic agreement needs to be exposed for the stitch up that it is. It has hardly been mentioned in TV news bulletins and has had very little coverage in the national press. It needs to be exposed for the good of democracy – we cannot allow the tories and their right wing cronies and big business backers to sell democracy to the highest bidder. Having said that, this party needs to get on board with the majority who would like to see all that the tories have sold off to their cronies re-nationalised WITHOUT COMPENSATION except where hardship for small shareholders would result. It is all stolen property and those who knowingly receive stolen property are guilty of a crime.