‘Health secretary Matt Hancock has quietly made another announcement that marks another step in the NHS privatisation by stealth’

• WE’VE seen politicians present a public face that lauds and praises the NHS and its workers while refusing to commit to pay deals that would make up for the decade of minimal or cost-of-living increases that have left many health workers in serious financial difficulties.

Politicians say that nobody wants to see nurses using food banks, but as Theresa May famously said to them, “there is no magic money tree”, and by their actions we know that politicians have no problem with nurses or any other sector of society falling into poverty.

Politicians pretend to care about the NHS and make public commitments, but the presence of NHS privatisation and private health care lobbyists in their teams belie their words.

In recent months we’ve been made aware of US health care corporations such as Centene/Operose being given contracts for services in London, with very little publicity, and we wouldn’t even know but for NHS campaigners and the press.

Now health secretary Matt Hancock has quietly made another announcement that marks another step in the NHS privatisation by stealth campaign that the major parties all seem committed to.

Unless people contact their GP by June 23 and specifically opt out of this scheme, up to 55million NHS patient records will become available to private companies.

The government tried to do this seven years ago, but there was a public outcry, and the plans were shelved.

Now Hancock is trying to do the same again, but under cover of the Covid-19 pandemic and taking advantage of the Labour Party’s abdication of opposition in favour of collaboration with the government.

Some of our Unite Community Camden members have complex and multiple health issues and, to put it bluntly, without the NHS they wouldn’t still be here.

One of the reasons people join our organisation is specifically to campaign against NHS privatisation and we are committed to fighting every cut and every move towards that.

Please contact your GP or medical centre by June 23, and state that you want to opt out, for now and for the future.

The organisation Foxglove, has a website where they have a petition opposing the data share, and more information on what is happening (https://www.foxglove.org.uk/nhs-data).

Oppose NHS data sharing and remember to contact your GP by June 23 and tell them you want to opt out.

GARETH MURPHY
Branch Secretary
Unite Community Camden