winter crisis a whole for the ideas of LPS, and have no perspective of fighting within the Socialist Movement as also soured the debate by spread ing misinformation about what no repeat of last ycar's fu too ill for day surgery but with NHS managers are keeping fingers crossed, praying there is little hope of a hospital bed. By Terry Smith worsened by the instruction lo about exactly what we could and should attempt - with the resolu- tion drafted by Socialist Or- ganiser supporters arguing that most districts to eradicate long- standing deficits and create a "level playing field" in the nin- up to the introduction of the new But there were In the past year, almost 2,300 been closed or failed to reopen for cash reasons in London unions laws and the witch-hunt of On some crucial issues there was agreement - the need to prioritise campaigning against War in the Gulf, the poll tax, the anti-trade socialists within the party. On all hospital beds have
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 29, December/January 1990/91 degrave since he took over from nouncement of which hospitals will get the go-ahead to opt out" as Self Governing Trusts next No wonder there has been such a stony silence from new Health Scoretary William Wal- Kenneth Clarke. He has already # April, amid speculation that per- haps only a fow of the 66 ap- plicants will obtain approval. postponed bankrupt! twice escaped major embarrassment so far by sheer luck - and two mild hospital, are already admitting known consequences. The Act will certainly leave most London districts worse off: Department epidemic: they know that they and the government have only winters. Several leading London hospitals, and Watford's main Things will get even worse after next April when the new NHS Act takes effect, with un emergencies only. Ministers have responded to guing that - even after some Yet the latest closures are hitting hospitals in the home counties as well as threatening the training of student doctors at leading London teaching hospitals, while waiting lists fll up with patients NHS Act and its Internal this picture of devastation by ar- 10,000, mostly acute, beds have closed in London since 1984 - the capital has "too many bede". market" next April. alone, according to the latest available figures. This sug- gests that recent surveys by (which showed around 4,000 beds derstated the scale of the The closures are mainly hit- ting acule services, but have also taken a heavy toll of beds for the closed nationally) have un- These cutbacks have boen crisis affecting the NHS. elderly and mentally ill. the Independent Page 6
Gulf: a