Cartoon by John Sadler www.johnsadlerillustration.com 

• GOVERNMENT this week announced the return of 20,000 health workers to the National Health Service.

Yet, before the coronavirus crisis began, the NHS was suffering from 44,000 nursing vacancies.

We must not forget that Tory governments have been grossly underfunding our overstretched NHS.

The NHS was founded in the aftermath of World War II when the country was up to its neck in long-term debt.

Yet in 1948 our NHS came into operation, free to all citizens at the point of delivery and publicly accountable.

If the Tories had not embarked on wholesale privatisation with their Health and Social Care Act, in 2012, private health corporations would not have been able to make huge inroads into NHS services, bidding low then cutting corners to make their profits.

Last week a lead nurse at the Whittington Hospital outpatients told me how frightened she was at some patients having to come into the hospital with dozens of Covid-19 patients in their wards because the devoted staff were not receiving adequate personal protection equipment (PPE) and tests.

This week we have been hearing about the lack of PPE in social care, despite the best efforts of drastically-cut local councils.

While the government has been slow and disorganised in this crisis, most health workers have been risking their own lives for the vulnerable and ill.

Once the present crisis is over, the Tory government will insist it saved the United Kingdom… But do not forget who had cut bursaries for trainee nurses (now magically restored!) and were responsible for every blow of austerity against our crumbling welfare state.

Let’s remember that everyone deserves a living wage, a roof over their head, an end to privatisation and a decent NHS for all citizens.

And with big business and the rich paying a major contribution in higher taxation! If it could be done post-1945 it can be done once this present crisis is over.

JAN POLLOCK
Hornsey Lane, N6