TRISTO STREET CENTR winter of 1987-89 1980g THE NAS reforms are not the only factor driving health services into crisie.
With many purchssers and providers already facing major deficits this yeer and embarking on cuts, the bilions squandared inthe slaming casis have made i even more certain that tis years autumn statement from the government will herald new cut-backs nax year, The relorme themselves were Thatcher 6 twisted response to the pross headlines highAghting the brutal impact of spending cuts on services for children and cancer palents in the Falling behind Despite a slightty more generoue financial sefflement for te elecion year 1991-92, the Tories have persisted in sysiematically underfunding the NHS, offering annual increases in Spendina which in most vears hall to keep pace with real nflation and cost pressures Estimates very on ine dimersions of this underunding A recent, conservalive assess ment by the Office of Health Economics, sug gests a cumulative gap' of E1 6 billion between achual Tory spending and the amount hal an spent to keep pace with the rising numbers of elderly people recuring health care, new technology and cost inflation in the Other European countries spend a far higher proportion of (larger) GMPs on heath services than Britain, one consequence is that most of them run largely without the British phenomenon of waiting lists It seems dear from Virginia Bollomley s miserable sellement on community care fat the main NHS budgel is likely af best to stand sill compared with this year Forking out for her own care? Tory reforms bring in means testing CHRONIC FINANCIAL LABILITY To make mallers worse, following the well publicised CBI call for public sector pay to be Fozen with any ncreases paid for only DY increased preductivity. Muor has foaled ha notion of a two percent pay linit If he Tones Incorporale his with ter HS cash Invis, then 1 milion health workers are likely to have a batie on thair hands to deland meir eving standards - while management wing then hanus and wque that any pay increase must mean loh losses and cuss in services.
The battle of Be a must be carned out on all free fonts - against underfunding. against the ruinous market system, and against the wholesale privalisation embodied in he community care proposals.
To complicate matters more, the deliberate fragmentation of the NHS into competing businesses (sell governing Trusts) means hal hundreds ol housands of health workers are no longer employed by the health authorily hat hoids the purse strings and takes policy decisions on their work, up and breaking fram the hard-won NH3 national pay and conditions agreements and estab lishing its own terms and conditions.
Health workers have never needed ther unions more The establishment of ad-hoc inter. union Inks between branches and stewards committees across Trusts and healifi autorty boundaries Is more important than ever Now 1s ma time for the left in the labour movement to play is required role in supporting and broadening the fant to dalend the most popular and universal at all aur public services.
After Tomlinson? London Health Workers Conference Saturday 31st October, 10-6 Camden Town Hall, Euston Road Registration fee £5 For details ring 081 840 7000 Meeting called by London Health Emergency Defend London's Health Services Camden Town Hall November 10, 7pm No. 29 10 Oct. 1992