“The last five years have been a record of betrayal; betrayal of our trust, betrayal of our people, betrayal of the NHS,” general secretary Dave Prentis declared when he spoke to delegates at the UNISON health conference in Liverpool this morning,
In 2010, the Tories made promises about the NHS, he recalled. And have broken every one.
“They promised to protect NHS funding: broken.
“Dave Cameron promised ‘the NHS is safe in my hands’: broken.
“They promised ‘no top-down reorganisation of the NHS’: a promise not just broken but smashed.”
Mr Prentis told conference that it is meeting just 24 days before “a decision like we have never faced before”.
“We live in a blatantly unfair society,” said Mr Prentis. “It’s 2015, and UNISON is still fighting the prejudices of 1815.”
The Conservatives say public services are just half-way through the cuts, he noted – “800,000 vital caring jobs have gone in the past five years, and we are just half way through!”
Noting that next year will be the 70th anniversary of Nye Bevan being appointed health secretary, Mr Prentis quoted the founder of the NHS saying: “No society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.”
“The decision we have to make on 7 May is not just about our union, not just about the NHS, but about the future of civilised society,” declared Mr Prentis.
“Five more years of this and the NHS will not exist as we know it.”
We have 24 days to the election and a chance for change, he added: “Our members need it, our NHS needs it.”
Turning to more direct industrial matters, the general secretary said that the next year will be one of campaigning and fighting for the union, and warned whatever government is elected in May, “If they come after our unsocial hours payments, we will ballot for action and we will fight.”
