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Blair's PFI Genious is Non-Executive Director NHS Trade Unions Compromised - offer no resistance to privatisation The Health Service Journal has been party to the listing of all those involved in the development of the NHS England Ten Year Plan, which shows the extent of the pro-privatisation individuals involved. Both Patricia Hewitt and Alan Milburn are acting in lead roles, in a list which includes the compromised Unison Trade Union that has worked closely with Patricia Hewitt chair of the committee formed by Blair to work with (coerce) the healthcare trade unions in order to smooth Government policies being accepted by the worker's representatives.
The list of the above shows the clear direction towards the American healthcare model that NHS England and Wes Streeting want to take the NHS in England and eventually to do the same with the devolved nations healthcare service. Even the name of it, and neglecting to show the NHS logo or mention of it in the title, gives the game away. In short The Bevan ideal is now well and truly destroyed by the Labour Government of Starmer! Whether or not the Trade Unions can be banked upon to oppose this, will be seen at the next Labour Party Conference in September, but unionsafety believes people should not hold their breathe waiting to see that, as it is unlikely to happen. Given the hold private business interests have on the Conference Arrangements Committee, it is unlikely that any motion opposing the Government's destruction of the principles upon which the NHS was born; will even be tabled to be debated. The lack of support from the wider Trade Union movement, and from Unison, Unite, and the GMB; in the campaign groups fighting to preserve what is left of the Bevan NHS model is a betrayal of not only the principle of what the NHS is all about, but also a betrayal of their membership. The principle behind Trade Unionism is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the union membership, as well as the financial aspects of employment - terms and conditions. There is nothing more fundamental than healthcare which is universal and free for every worker, irrespective of their financial circumstances.
Given that the Labour Party was formed by Trade Unions, for it to now be transforming healthcare in the UK, and specifically at present in England, into the American healthcare system; all Trade Unions should be campaigning to stop this fundamental change which will cost more lives, cause medical bills to bankrupt patients as they do in the US; and cause fundamental public health harm. Alan Milburn was the Blair Government's minister who dreamed up PFI which saddled the NHS with major debt, from which it is still suffering. He was one of the leading proponents of privatising healthcare in the UK, and is now embedded into NHS England. He and Wes Streeting want the general public to fund huge profits for private healthcare companies which is the plan for them to provide all but basic NHS treatment services, at huge costs to be paid for from general taxes, and National Insurance Contributions - all under the badge of NHS. This will mean as now, patients will never really know just who is providing their care! They hide behind the NHS badge and Blair's original coining of the phrase " free at the point of delivery" which was cleverly intended to hide just who is providing the NHS services and hide the new principle of making tax payers liable for the profits of private companies, in the same way as they do with energy companies, water companies and the railways - all hugely subsidised by tax payers funds from the Government. Milburn is a Senior Adviser to PwC, the company involved in consultancy work with numerous Integrated Care Boards on how to minimise healthcare services in each of the 42 Integrated Care Boards, closing hospitals, and cutting costs, with the eventual aim of ICBs making profits from the NHS. At the Department of Health, Alan Milburn led a radical reform programme of health and social care services including the creation of autonomous NHS Foundation Trusts, choice for patients and devolution of decision-making. He served as the Chair of the Social Mobility Commission under both David Cameron and Theresa May. His business advises governments and corporations across the world and he serves on a number of global boards, is Chancellor of Lancaster University and Chair of The Social Mobility Foundation. Currently, Milburn also has his own multi-million pound consultancy firm, AM Strategy. It serves both corporate and government clients globally, supporting privatisation of healthcare across the UK and abroad, aiding as it does, Governments to dismantle their current healthcare systems and hand them over to private healthcare companies, from the USA. He was successful in his lobbying of the previous Governments in ensuring US healthcare giant, Certene, Bridgewater Capital and United Health, remain currently embeded into NHS England and were in part responsible for the previous 'NHS Long-Term Plan' and of course the developing of US Accountable Care Organisations aka Integrated Care Systems in England. This is the man leading on NHS transformation! See also: NHS Privatisation News Archive
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