Private practice -in or out of the National Health Service end" These were the words of Steve Johmson, National Officer of the Health Services Division of NALGO, speaking at the London demonstratvon against private practice on Saturday, 22 February.
The demonstration, called by the Medical Committee Against Private Practice -MCAPP- was sponsored by at least seven trades councils, various trade union branches- many, like the North London NUR, the Acton Works AUEW, and the Ford's Dagenham TGWU outside the NHS as well a the Tribune group of MPs, the Socialist Medical Asociation, and Shelfield Brightside Labour Party.
Johnson went on to explain that NALGO's call for the 'blacking" of private hospital construction had been adopted by the TUC in 1973. He added: "The TUC has done nothing about cither "blacking" or combatting private practice in the NHS. We must see that that policy is actively pursued."
He warned of the alarming growth in private medicine, and pointed out there were close conncetions between the NI!S and privmust ate medicine: "The chairinan of the United Kingdom Hospitals Group is Sir John Prideaux, who just happens to be also chairman of the genera. trustees of St Thomas's Hospital and a member of the Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham aren heaith authority.
Jack Collins, u member of the National Union of Mineworkets national executive, pledeed the support of the Kent miners in the fight to defend the NHS. Said Callins: *It is up to the labour and trade union movement to put a stop to private practico. He denounced the parasitic role of private practice, pointing to the way that it used NHS equipment to "provide casy pickings for the medical spjvs"
Bob Pennington of the International Marxist Group pointed to the full police coaches sent to the demonstration. "The Labour Govermment increases the police force. jacking up London police wages hy 52 per cent in one year. At the same time it fights bitterly against the demands of health workers for a decent wage and is responsible for Ehe rumning down of the NHS.
Sending postcards to Labour MPS won't solve the crisis in the IMG speaker Bob Pennington (right) and Dr. Berry Beaumont (left)
'bosses' NHS. The action of the Swansea workers, the solidarity strikes by dockers, miners ete during last Your's nunes pay claim and the pital workers have given the lead on how to fighit both against private practice and defend the NHS. must take up this campaign. But it must use its own strength and against the plans of the Labour Government. That is the only way to make the Labour MPs act" BOYCOTT ward and member of the International Socialists referred to the Xmas dinner disaster at Leytonstone Mental Hospital, where 100 women were poisoned and two died, and said that it was not surprising the kitchen conditions were bad since they were built in 1885.
NINGE -FREE THE T NMS Last Saturday's demonstration against private practice embargo of the Charing Cross HosThe working class movement •.• OR A plan to upgrade them had beea Time Out/Sanderson Illustration:-
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C RACTICE NOV 2 DEFEND THEI