Any lingering doubts that a chunk of the i neW belatedly injected Service in Gordon Brown's the The new last budget will be funnelled Iccis, following already directly into the pockets of big business will have been Vith a fanfare of publicity than £7 billion, Milburn unveiled plans for another 29 hospital developments: but there were two building • Most, if not all of the government in hospitals Funded and run by the pri- 1960s NHS for a 30-year period and ment the controversial Exchequer Private Finance Initiative (PFI) dreamed up by the • And - partly because of the complexity and bureaucracy of establishing PH schemes - none of them will be built until 2006 at the carliest: that's not only after the coming election, but probably after the NEXT election public as well! hospitals.
I'he newest package of hosschemes £3.1 billion -including four (St Helen's, bers Leicester and Birmingham)
service in excess of C200m.
The new Unters Hosping train, we seby 3,000 -far the most expensive hos pital ever built in the NHS, cost will be far higher.
The Trust involved will be required to fork out monthly negotiation tals. property •Bruce KorE: 30 years which guarantee the profits of the bank, building Hospital, London (UCLH), who fought plans to hand firm and service providers in the winning consortium.
for a new hospital, Milburn approved announced future PFI schemes could bring the total of privately- separate the privatisation of all more more support services from private ownership coming in instalments out of NHS annual budgets. But as the Dudley Hospital New Labour boasts that it strikers have is the biggest ever hospital promise appcars to cast only scheme in the on paper, and is not binding the Tory Trusts who the early Dudicy aroup or Hospias embarked on its may just dig in and insist on Hospital Plan for England wholesale privatisation.
Wales, all of the invest- So keen is New Labour in the private provision of NHS and the com. capital that the legislation buildings belonged to being quietly forced through Parliament in advance of the these assets are now being next clection proposes a furstripped to help pay the mas ther massive sive cost of PFI projects. PFI into the area of primary care - the provision of GP Concessions surgeries and health centres.
Milburn has been obliged The Health and Social Care to make a number of conces Bill includes WIll "unlock £i billion of new acceptance of PFI investment in tamiy doctor premises"
• Unlike the first wave of period, through which involved lishment of "NAS LIFT" (Local of available hospital beds, making PFI a by-word But of this Elbn, less than 20% now claims the latest batch of new hospitals will expand Treasury: the remainder wil CONDUCT La total of come from the private sector although no firm NHS LIFT "will be set up as details yet exist to confirm La limited company", this will be the case.
PFI schemes tend to inflate Mously expect a generous and in cost and reduce in bed guaranteed profit. numbers as the process of So while an ever-increasing will be delivered • Milburn has also broken vately-owned, profit-seeking from previous policy, under "NHS" hospitals, or even by which the NHS has become private medical companies a permanent, long-term tenand private ant in rented private hospi last Hc says now that in the 29 Milburn, new schemes there will be an growing role for the private "option" at the end of the sector in the provision of soinitial 30-year contract tor called "intermediate" (nursthe hospitals to become th ing home) beds.
of the NHS And the hard line which though how much extra this has distinguished the NHSwill cost during and at the which provides services free end of the lease period is not at point of use - from local government social services -• And after stubborn resis- which have been subject to about to be blurred by another part of the Health and Social Care Bill. This little-discussed legislation will set up new bare Trusts, combining health year area. Not only do Care Trusts raise huge terms and conditions of staff of the in the affected services, but Obey also mean that for the first time NHS bodies found, this be levying charges patients for care they receive Any doubts that this will as in the be the case should have been dispelled by the Milburn and the Biair sovernment to implement the proposais Hom Commission on long-term care of the elderly. Charges It called for charges for extension of both "social" care to be fundec from taxation, at a cost of around El billion a year. New Labour in England Is Plan hell-bent Charging and privatisation the crab- 4-year into areas of the nato crea Thatcher feared to tread.
The Health and Social Care Bill has now completed its Improvement pushed rapidly through the • a mere £175m - will House of Lords to reach the the tion. It's a safe bet that few of the Riairite MPs who nodded it with thought could tell us what is in the Bill, other than the controversial plan to scrap watchdog bodies, the local in priCommunity Health Coun cils. What is clear is that New Labour has used its massive majority and its mandate to "Concordat" roll back by the WHS to force extension of privatisation in our most popular public ser VICE. nothing is change these policies, tuture generations will still be lumthe after Alan retired.
Tory education spokesper. son Teresa May comstolen the Tories' policy. Wi will ve Power Co select up to 10 percent of cheir pupils. By 2006 - is schools will be "specialist" schools, and receive extra tier system Already under new each or eat couction Secretary David "read my Clips: no selection Blunkett more children are being taught in selective schools Since schools need a cash will pot of (50,000 even to from apply for specialise status. it is clear that the mose hard-pressed schools, refusal of deprived areas, will remain firmly at the bottom of the heap. the Koyal This is a further kick in the teeth for teaching stall at comprehensive schools -smashing morale at a time when schools in many parts of the country are and recruit and retain sufficient teachers, To make matters worse, Blair also wants to see more religious-based extending encourage businesses and "voluntary organisations' to take over failing schools. After it has landed educa. the hefty bill to pay the 3.7% is being average increase in teach.
ers pay, demoralisca teachers with a mountain st assessments, paperwork he ever ovins gets", and worsened the barely shortages of teachers in a growing list of subjects, abour has now given notice that its second term would be even worse for education than its first. 1997 to bring an end co Tory policies in education, hosth and other vie sore vices. But now it seems a of Tory Labour vote would bring in than even Thatcher. biggest-ever However strong votes for "no-cover" action by resistance to Labour's polibills, long Blunkett and co. have
Outlook
proceeds proportion of health care
teaching unions in various •done ndicate that the level of