Whipps Cross into special measures: cancel all PFI debt!

TUSC supporters were campaigning at Whipps the morning after the announcement

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for Walthamstow, Nancy Taaffe, responded to the announcements in the press on Whipps Cross going into ‘special measures’:

“Today’s announcement is a direct consequence of the £77m of cuts made by the Bart’s Trust in 2013 following the use of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) to fund redevelopment of the Royal London Hospital. I stood for parliament in 2005 against then Labour MP Neil Gerrard who debated with me and said that PFI at our local hospital was ‘the only show in town’. That ‘show’ has led to this terrible report. The culture of management bullying and harassment is a direct consequence of trying to make NHS workers do more with less. Although the devastation caused by privatisation wasn’t immediately apparent, we made it clear from 2005 that future generations would be damaged and disadvantaged by it. Sadly, I believe we were right. This culture of bullying directly led to the sacking of Unison branch chairperson Charlotte Monroe, who tried to raise the issue of cuts in a wider audience.

“I had my two children at Whipps Cross and know the value of its services. TUSC supporters have been active, both in the hospital and in the community, opposing cuts, including participation in the Whipps Cross demonstration in 2013. TUSC demands an end to PFI and all NHS privatisation, and no cuts, with full restoration of all funding lost to the NHS. We do not want to see a revolving door of ‘new administrators’ leeching off the public purse while those who deliver the service are run ragged and face pay cuts.”

Why we’re standing: Whipps Cross hospital workers

Len, Russell, Aidan, Craig and Patrick

We are workers at Whipps Cross Hospital standing in Leytonstone and Forest wards in the council elections on 22nd May.
For the last few months we have been part of a big campaign of the unions in the hospital and the community to fight against £77.5m cuts in Barts Health Trust. We have been fighting pay cuts, the risk of 1000 job cuts and an even more overworked, underpaid workforce.
Thanks to everyone in the local community who supported us on our demonstrations!
Barts Health Trust, which includes Whipps Cross, is saddled with a massive PFI (private finance initiative) debt to rebuild the old Royal London, costing £115m a year!
Private companies are sucking the lifeblood out of the NHS. And the ConDems plan to sell off even more of our NHS – all to pay for a crisis caused by bankers and bosses.
We say cancel the PFI debt! Why should working people pay such a terrible price for the failures and the greed of the rich and big business?
The government bailed out the banks – why not bail out the NHS?!
All the main parties, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Tory, agree about cuts and privatisation to the NHS and all our public services. It was the Labour government that pressed ahead with the disastrous PFI projects that have caused such a crisis in the NHS.
This is why we have decided to stand as candidates for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) in the local elections.

In Forest vote:
Craig Guiste
Patrick Brown
Russell Pennington

In Leytonstone vote:
Len Hockey
Aidan Taylor
Suzanne Muna (Suzanne’s ‘why I’m standing’ will appear in a future post)