Political opinion: Workers party representative Hugh Scullion says Health Service is in clear and present danger.

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Members of the workers party protested outside Belfast City Hall, whilst a delegation from their Regional committee addressed the council.

The workers party asked the council to reject the planning permission granted to build a private hospital on Boucher Road in the South Belfast area. A member of the party’s regional leadership addressed the protesters before going into the council chamber to address the full council session. The member told the protesters that in 1948 Nye Bevan turned poor houses in to hospitals, and there can be no going back.

A member of the delegation addressed the council delivering a three page fifteen paragraph detailed set of reasons why this planning permission should be overturned. This new private hospital was in close proximity to other private health facilities already in the south Belfast area.

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The party noted that there were also three national health service hospitals within a half mile radius of the proposed new hospital. These hospitals are being starved of the funds needed to deliver high quality healthcare to those most in need. This rush to privatisation will present a clear and present danger to our health and social care systems.

Hugh Scullion said Nye Bevan in 1948 turned workhouses in to hospitals the workers party will campaign and fight to prevent hospitals being turned into poorhouses in 2025Hugh Scullion said Nye Bevan in 1948 turned workhouses in to hospitals the workers party will campaign and fight to prevent hospitals being turned into poorhouses in 2025
Hugh Scullion said Nye Bevan in 1948 turned workhouses in to hospitals the workers party will campaign and fight to prevent hospitals being turned into poorhouses in 2025

Hugh Scullion said: "These private hospitals will plunder our national health service of resources, human and financial, while our waiting lists grow day on day.

"Two of those NHS hospitals are surrounded by large working class areas, with some of the worst poverty, multiple deprivations and health inequalities in western Europe. Some have a life expectancy of ten years less than those in the middle and upper class areas. Relative and abject poverty has increased and child poverty has risen. 25% of our children across Northern Ireland now live in poverty. Those children will grow into adulthood with health needs because where there is poverty there is also deprivation and health inequalities.

"The private sector are not interested in dealing with health inequalities they are only interested in the bottom line on the spreadsheet. They cherrypick the type of cases they want to take. Quick and profitable it's theirs, complex and serious its ours, they would deem it to costly and would minimise profits to their directors and shareholders.

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"The plans that their flagship kings hall medical facilities have for using disused shopping centre across Northern Ireland shows how confident they have become that they are the preferred health provider, by the power brokers inside and outside of our healthcare and political systems.

Workers party members protest against the decision to grant planning permission for a new private hospital, saying no to a two tier healthcare system. Having money should not mean you can jump the queue. Every one is entitled to highest level of quality healthcare free to all our citizens.Workers party members protest against the decision to grant planning permission for a new private hospital, saying no to a two tier healthcare system. Having money should not mean you can jump the queue. Every one is entitled to highest level of quality healthcare free to all our citizens.
Workers party members protest against the decision to grant planning permission for a new private hospital, saying no to a two tier healthcare system. Having money should not mean you can jump the queue. Every one is entitled to highest level of quality healthcare free to all our citizens.

"It is extremely disconcerting that the language used by them on what they aspire to deliver on Health care across Northern Ireland, including mental health therapy. Exactly mirrors that used in the Health Ministers Three Year Health Strategy. Also the Better Hospitals-Better Outcomes currently out for consultation.

"The Transforming Your Care reforms rushed through in six weeks with no Equality Impact Assessment. Privatised our home care services and residential homes. It also had plans to close a number of hospitals and other healthcare facilities, before widespread opposition stopped it in its tracks.

"By then the damage was already done to Home care and residential care. These services had gone to the private sector. This dreadful decision has significantly added to the current crisis we have in our health services at the present time. With patients being unable to be discharged from hospitals, because of the lack of home care packages and residential care beds. One would thinks lessons would be learned.

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"But sadly not, The Bengo report which has political buy in, is also heavily reliant on the third sector meaning the fragmentation and privatisation of our National Health Service. When will our politicians and Health Service leaders realise that the private sector cannot solve the problem in our healthcare systems.

"The private sector has no interest in solving a problem they have fostered and helped create in the pursuit of profits. Nor can the constant reform of the structures with each reform and the Billions wasted making the quality and quantity of clinical outcomes worse.

"Reforms won't work if you don't deal with the culture that has been allowed to grow where vested interests and career aspirations have become more important that the needs of patients."

Hugh concluded by saying we the taxpayers pay for our National Health Service through our national insurance and income taxes.

"We own it, we want to maintain it, we want to ensure there will be no two tier system. Our citizens deserve quality healthcare."

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