7th July 2008

Cllr Sarah Lunnon calls for an end of moves towards evermore privatisation of our health services 

The Citizen rightly celebrates the NHS as it reaches its 60th birthday. This is surely also the time for the drive for private profit to be kicked out of the structure for local NHS services.

We are seeing the NHS systematically dismantled and sold off to large healthcare providers to run on a profit-making business model. 60 years ago Bevan worked hard to bring together disparate providers into a nationalised health service. 60 years on Labour are working hard to hand the NHS to private health care providers paid for out of taxation.

Time and time again, private companies have been shown to cost taxpayers more to provide healthcare services than the NHS with no benefits in quality. Why then do Labour insist on continuing with this destructive and misguided policy?

The Green Party is the only major party saying no to private profit from a service that should be run for the good of the patients, not the shareholders. It is time to say no to the privatisation agenda and return to efficient and effective state run services that benefit local people.

Cllr Sarah Lunnon, Leader of Green party Stroud District councillor group