Public Accounts Committee report - UNISON response

UNISON, the UK's largest union, today reiterated its call for the Health and Social Care Bill to be pronounced DOA - dead on arrival - after a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report said it posed a real threat to patient care.The report also raises concerns about the real cost of the reforms, the systems in place to protect patients and taxpayers, and the ability of GP practices and hospitals to gain consortia or Foundation Trust status.Christina McAnea, UNISON Head of Health, said:"Another week, another report warns that the Health and Social Care Bill poses a real danger to patients. The NHS and its staff have always adapted to change, but this Bill takes a wrecking ball to the NHS as we know it."Along with many other major health organisations and patient groups, UNISON has long been warning that the Bill is the wrong prescription for the NHS. And the evidence just keeps on mounting. It's time for this bill to be shelved for good, not just temporarily be put on hold."UNISON's opposition to the titanic Health and Social Care Bill* Big cuts in health spending. These are being taken from patient care and leading to job losses - including clinical staff - across the NHS.* Opening up the NHS to private profit. Taxpayers' money destined for NHS patients will be diverted into shareholder profits.* NHS patients will be pushed to the back of the queue because the proposed Bill will take the cap off the amount hospitals can earn from private patients.* It means competition, not co-operation. The government wants to run the NHS through competition between different health providers and market forces.* It will create a huge postcode lottery. The care patients can expect will vary from place to place, increasing costs and health inequalities and hurting vulnerable people the most. No-one voted for this.* The NHS is working and public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all time high. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

UNISON's hard hitting cuts campaign hits the high street

This week UNISON takes its anti-cuts campaign to England’s high streets, with giant billboards warning about the impact of the Government’s hard and fast public service cuts.This second phase of the union’s massive advertising campaign turns political, with a message urging people, “On 5 May, vote for the party that stands up for public services.”The giant billboards have a common theme, listing jobs that are being cut under three eye-catching headlines, “Welcome To The Big Society” “Stop Having Children” and “Don’t Get Sick”. Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:“One year on, and the May elections give people the opportunity to have their say. Our billboards deliver a stark warning to voters about the danger of Government cuts on vital jobs in the public sector. “The loss of 400,000 jobs in the public sector will have a devastating impact on the country’s long-term financial recovery. With fewer public service workers such as nurses, paramedics home helps, youth workers, occupational therapists, and dinner ladies, people will suffer, as the vital services they rely on disappear.“UNISON is asking the public to vote for the party that stands up for public services.”

Union welcomes Birmingham social care decision

(21/04/11) UNISON has welcomed the High Court ruling inghathat Birmingham City Council acted unlawfully in slashing asocial care provision across the city."This is a landmark ruling and a tremendous victory for thousands of vulnerable people across Birmingham who rely upon social care provision," commented UNISON West Midlands head of government Tony Rabaiotti."We have been saying for months that the Tory-Lib Dem council is wrong to axe social care services, that they have not listened to the concerns of service users and providers and we are delighted that the High Court has today vindicated our argument."The court ruled that the council had acted unlawfully in axing support for adults whose needs were defined as "substantial" and restricting care packages to people whose needs were assessed as "critical".This would have seen 10,000 Birmingham citizens have their social care packages reduced, while 4,100 lost out altogether, to save the council £17.5m.But Mr Justice Walker in the High Court ruled that the council had not taken equality issues into account when making the decision and ignored provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act.It is the second time this month that a court has found the council to be acting unlawfully when making cuts.Mr Rabiotti added: "Social care workers across Birmingham have been telling UNISON over the last few months that they are genuinely frightened by the proposal to so severely axe social care provision."They have been telling us that vulnerable people will simply be left to fend for themselves."He called on the council to "pause, think again and work with us to maintain quality social care provision for the people of Birmingham."