The Fight Against Profiteering & Privatisation in the NHS

The following is a recap of our in-person report launch and includes videos of the speeches and links to further reading at the end.

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare longstanding failures of successive British governments to adequately plan for such a crisis. It not only highlighting the reckless short-term cost-cutting of NHS trust management through the outsourcing of non-clinical support services to private companies, but also the impact of chronic underfunding in this essential public service. That underfunding  brought on by austerity – was a political not an economic choice.

Throughout the ongoing Covid-19 Inquiry, we have heard how working-class and migrant communities were disproportionately impacted by the (lack of) actions by the Government. In Module 3, 'Impact on Healthcare' systems, the Public Interest law Centre asked the Inquiry to consider evidence that the long-term impact of outsourcing and privatisation has had on the NHS. They denied our request.

NHS outsourcing forty years of failure

So, on behalf of the Frontline Migrant Healthcare Workers Group, United Voices of the World, Independent Workers of Great Britain and Kanlungan, lawyers from PILC commissioned our own report to highlight the impact of outsourcing and privatisation on the NHS. Forty Years of Failure; private sector contracting and its impact on the NHS was the result. Written and researched by John Lister it exposes how the outsourcing of non- clinical work diverted hundreds of millions into private profits, whilst at the same time stripping workers of pay, rights and created a two-tier workforce. The outsourcing of contracts has damaged the NHS. It has resulted in a declining quality of patient care, but also the harmful division within the workforce.

On 20 March, PILC hosted the launch of this report and it concluded that Non-clinical support staff:

■ found themselves left out or at the back of the queue for Covid tests that were prioritised for clinical staff;

■ felt left out of the public show of affection for the NHS and its staff as the pandemic took hold;

■ and found – after the peak of Covid had passed that they had to take strike action to secure the £1,650 bonus that had paid to other NHS workers, even though the government had agreed to reimburse their employers.

Report Launch

Dr John Lister , the author of the report, is a specialist health journalist and senior lecturer in Health Journalism at Coventry University who has researched and written extensively on the subject since 1984. He talked us through the historical roots, costs and consequences of 40 years of outsourcing of services by the NHS, which meant that thousands of staff playing key roles in the NHS did not enjoy NHS terms and conditions, as they were employed by private companies.

He was joined by Anna Miller, the Head of Policy & Advocacy at Doctors of the World based in London. She leads Doctors of the World’s work to end NHS healthcare charges for migrant patients. Anna situated migrant and precarious workers as not only those who staff the NHS, but who receive care as patients. She heeded a warning that should be a rallying call for all those who want to keep the NHS a free and public service - the introduction of charges for migrants is a back door to putting systems in place so that anyone in the future is at risk of being charged.

Petros Elia, the General Secretary of United Voices of the World (UVW) Union, who were a core participant in Module 3 was another speaker on the night. He said that through collective organising, we can make wins against encroaching privatisation. Under his leadership UVW campaigns to end outsourcing in the NHS have gone on to influence the organising strategies of large TUC unions and changed the narrative and landscape of trade unionism in Britain today.

Recap of Discussion

First, it was clear that outsourcing of nonclinical staff led to inferior terms and conditions of the work force, including pay, pension rights and notably limited sick pay – meaning that thousands of staff were unable to afford to take sick leave, even as the Covid-19 pandemic gathered pace.

Second, outsourced staff were overlooked when PPE was distributed in the health service. NHS Trust management expected the private companies to provide the masks and gowns to outsourced workers. Resulting in the trade union United Voices of the World sourcing their own PPE for their workers, and members of Kanlungan making their own masks.

Third, that NHS charging is preventing many migrant communities from accessing health care and is a back door in to establishing charging practices for all.

Fourth, that strike action has been successful in forcing NHS Trusts to re-integrate and bring back in house those outsourced workers.

Finally, it is clear the re-nationalisation of the NHS is what is really required to restore accountability, ensure that public funds are reinvested directly into patient care rather than siphoned off as profits, and create a more cohesive, well-planned health service. This would allow for better workforce planning, improved working conditions for NHS staff, and a system focused on health outcomes rather than commercial interests.

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Below are the speeches from the event and from the Q and A. There is clearly a huge appetite among NHS workers, trade unionists and lawyers to continue discussions around how we fight and win back a funded NHS for all. We will begin planning a much larger conference that will reflect on all the findings and failures that emerged throughout the Covid-19 Inquiry.

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Full John Lister Speech

https://youtu.be/TADSbYvsUkE

Full Petros Elia Speech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b86ggqyO7BA

Full Anna Miller Speech

https://youtu.be/RYPrXIIr398

Further Reading 

Full Report here.

Summary of Report here.

You can read more about UVW Union's campaign strategy as well as an example of winning back in-house contracting in the NHS here.

Doctors of the World commissioned a report on NHS charging you can access here.

Module 3 and 4 Core Participant member Kanlungan also commissioned extensive work on the impact of Filipino workers in the NHS during the pandemic. You can access those here.

For requests, contact:

Maev McDaid, Public Interest Law Centre

Phone: +44 (0) 7886 270061

Email: maev.mcdaid@pilc.org.uk