| GMB members employed in the NHS, with members from Unison, Unite and Society of Radiographers (SoR), will join with Andy Burnham MP Labour’s shadow health secretary in a photocall outside Parliament on Wednesday 19 November ahead of the second reading of the National Health Service (Amended Duties and Powers) Bill on 21 November 2014. This is part of a campaign by GMB, Unite, UNISON, and SoR to MPs from across the political divide to ditch their differences and vote to save the NHS when the private member’s Bill comes before the House of Commons on Friday 21 November. See notes to editors for details of what the Bill contains. GMB members will also take part in an NHS vigil on 20th November at 7pm outside the Houses of Parliament on the eve of the second reading. See notes to editors for GMB press release of 7th November on the vigil. The details of the photocall are as follows: From 2.30pm to 3pm on Wednesday 19 November 2014 Old Palace Yard, (opposite the Houses of Parliament) Westminster London SW1 Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said "The Health & Social Care Act stands as a testimony to the self-serving nature of this Government. The lie at the heart of it was that it would give control of the NHS to Clinicians and NHS staff, but Section 75 puts commissioners under political pressure if they choose to favour the NHS over private providers. The legislation took away people’s right to expect the state to provide healthcare. Five more years of this government will see an end to the NHS, but there are many MP’s who want to stop that from happening. Clive Efford’s Private Member’s Bill is trying to undo the most damaging aspects of this legislation and the GMB urges all MP’s to support it". Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, said: “Senior Tories themselves admit that the £3 billion NHS shake-up has been their biggest mistake in government. This bill is a first step to righting that wrong by putting the founding principles of people not profit back at the heart of our NHS. David Cameron got it wrong –his destructive NHS reforms have flung open the doors to privatisation and enforced competition which is destroying our nation’s most treasured institution. The British voting public won’t forgive or forget if MPs fail to grasp this chance to ditch the worse parts of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.” Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: "Cameron's Health and Social Care Act has caused huge damage to our NHS by selling off a range of vital services to private healthcare companies. Clive Efford's bill aims to put a halt to this shameful project by protecting the NHS from the ravages of competition law and rightly placing patient care before profits. The Bill ensures that Britain’s most loved institution operates on its founding principles of a service that meets the needs of patients and is free at the point of delivery. It also protects the NHS from exploitative competition and shields the service from the damaging implications of TTIP and any other international trade agreements. The NHS is a key political area for the next General Election. And now is the time for MPs in this coalition government to admit they got in wrong in 2012 and vote for this Bill." Paul Bromley SoR Officer said “The SoR fully supports this Bill and calls on those Conservative and Liberal Democrat MP’s who know in their hearts how destructive the passing of the Health and Care Act has been to the NHS, to show courage and vote with Labour in support of the bill.” End Contact Rehana Azam 07841 181 656 or Brian Strutton 07860 606 137 or GMB press office 07974 251 823 or 07921 289880 or Unite campaigns officer Chantal Chegrinec on 07774 146 777 Note to editors: 1 The National Health Service (Amended Duties and Powers) Bill is a private members’ bill promoted by Labour MP for Eltham, Clive Efford. Its second reading is in the House of Commons on Friday 21 November. The bill can be viewed at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2014-2015/0018/15018.pdf |