The future of the NHS hangs in the balance. Nearly five million people are waiting for treatment. Covid has pushed our health services to the limit, but years of underfunding meant it was already in crisis before the pandemic. Waiting lists were already rising, as were the huge staff shortages.

But rather than addressing these problems as a priority, the government is proposing more drastic reorganisation of the NHS.

Thousands of NHS workers, in dozens of towns and cities, protested on Saturday 3 July against the Tories' insulting 1% pay offer. Just days later, on 5 July, it was announced that workers in the NHS will be awarded the George Cross medal. Not something that will pay the bills for the thousands of nurses who are forced to visit food banks.

And then, the next day, the government presented its health and care bill in parliament, spelling out plans for further privatisation and even less democratic oversight of our NHS.

Socialist Party members have been helping to organise numerous protests since.

In this podcast we speak to a number of our members both before and after the 3rd of July about the struggle for a 15% pay rise and what the health and social are bill is trying to do to our NHS.

Further reading here;

Unite to fight Tory pay insults

Build for strike action

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32850/28-07-2021/unite-to-fight-tory-pay-insults

Public sector pay: NHS, teachers -Prepare for action!

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32845/22-07-2021/public-sector-pay-prepare-for-action

NHS: Kick out the privatisers - Fight for a 15% Pay rise

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32804/14-07-2021/kick-out-the-privatisers-fight-for-a-15-pay-rise

Fight the health and care bill

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32732/30-06-2021/fight-the-health-and-care-bill

Fight is on to save our NHS

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs

NHS after 3 July protests

Trade unions must organise serious action

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32731/30-06-2021/nhs-after-3-july-protests-trade-unions-must-organise-serious-action

Tories threaten to axe free prescriptions for older workers

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32808/14-07-2021/tories-threaten-to-axe-free-prescriptions-for-older-workers

Scrap the privatising health and care bill

For a publicly funded, democratically run, NHS

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32807/14-07-2021/scrap-the-privatising-health-and-care-bill