The National Union of Public Employees, with 200,000 members in the NHS, is starting a campaign against the Government's backsliding on private practice.
vnen the inaeoendent action taken by health workers against private practice becan to eoD. wirs caste was able to start dealing with the consultants behind he workers backs. out castes acces tance of the Goodman proposals, which mean keeping a large slice of private practice inside the NHS, has been met by a demand from NUPE that the Government return to its original intention of fixing a date for the complete removal of all pay beds from the NHS.
Alan Fisher, NUPE's general secretary. has written to more than 600 Constituency Labour Parties asking them to raise the subject with their management committees. Fisher describes it as a matter of urgency', and says that the union is 'anxious that all sections of the labour the health unions but it would stimulate support for Fisher's campaign inside the Labour Party - which could then be asked tor support action at botn local and national level.
Fisher's protest and his appeal for support are a good starting point, but more has to be done. The task is to organise for action against the policies of the right-wing Labour leaders. If no action is taken, tne consultants will get their way and private practice will stay inside the NHS as well as flourishing outside it.
The Labour Government will not retreat on its sell-out to the consultants unless it is forced to do so by action in the hospitals. combined with support from other sections of the working class. MilItants in the nearn service and organisa tions like the NCC must pull out all the stops to make sure such action takes place
NUPE
1MУ% ENO= TO ж Ні Recent picket against private practice at Hammersmith Hospital NO