Labour is sharpening the knife to cut the throat of the NHS – what is needed is a Workers Government that will expropriate the bosses and bring in Socialism!

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LABOUR’S HEALTH SECRETARY Wes Streeting has made public his vow to scrap more than a million ‘pointless’ NHS hospital appointments.

The Health Secretary whined that ‘waste of time’ hospital check-ups could be scrapped, which would free up consultants to carry out more operations.

Streeting hit out at the heart of the NHS when he stated that the NHS was scheduling ‘over a million pointless appointments every year’, adding that ‘this sort of waste and inefficiency is why patients are waiting up to 18 months for treatment today’.

He continued: ‘We will cut out appointments that are frankly a waste of everybody’s time … and cut down on missed appointments.’

Streeting’s Health Department officials believe that ‘remote monitoring’ could free up half a million appointments next year, with another half a million freed up by patients being given the choice of whether they actually want the follow-up appointments, rather than being offered one as a default.

Patients are to be encouraged to stay away from their doctors and get ill away from the public view.

This is what the NHS has been reduced to after working wonders to improve the health of millions of workers and youth. They are to be discouraged! They are to become part of the alleged ‘million pointless appointments’ ‘dumped by the new NHS’ and left to their fate.

The BMA Scotland union believes a lot more people will be ‘forced to go private’ for treatment.

BMA Scotland’s annual winter pressures survey – of 980 doctors – found 99% of respondents were either extremely concerned (76%) or concerned (23%) about the impact of increased pressures on the NHS throughout winter.

Seventy per cent said the NHS was in ‘crisis mode’ all year round, and 84% did not believe the NHS had enough staff to cope with the increase in demand this winter.

More than 500 doctors also shared their experiences of working under pressure.

One testimony read: ‘It has become the norm to be operating at 115-120% capacity and have between 10 and 20 admissions sleeping in the ED (emergency department) overnight in corridors.

‘The system is broken and needs to be addressed as an emergency.’ One GP wrote: ‘Been crisis mode here for months. Feels like nobody in management – acute sector or community is listening or actually admitting the seriousness of the situation at all levels. This has, and continues to have, an impact on lives let alone safety and staff morale.’

Dr Kennedy said: ‘Doctors have heard a lot of warm words recently from the first minister and his team about the NHS being at the heart of their recent budget, but words must be matched with a clear vision, a timetable for reform and action.

‘The NHS as we know it will struggle to see out another year, as its founding principles, which we all value so highly will be at risk with more and more people forced to go private or simply left to suffer as they cannot access the care they need, when they need it.’

Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray agreed with the BMA’s stance on reform and said the Scottish government was listening to patient and clinical opinions to steer how it delivered services.

He added: ‘The measures we set out in the draft Budget, including record £21bn investment for health and social care, would mean quicker treatments, more GP appointments, and world-class facilities for people across Scotland.

‘But we will only be able to deliver these transformational investments and drive further improvements for patients if our Budget is agreed. I urge Parliament to unite behind it.’

Senior doctors working at a Glasgow hospital have asked for a ‘major incident’ to be called this week but had their request declined. Emergency medicine consultants described conditions in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) as ‘grossly’ unsafe with no room to take in new patients on Monday evening.

Last week, NHS Grampian declared a ‘critical incident’ because Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was full.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said all of its services are under ‘considerable pressure’ with the arrival of winter bringing additional challenges.

It is the same nationwide. Since Labour is not prepared to finance the NHS to save millions of lives, it must be brought down by the working class and its trade unions and be replaced by a Workers Government that will see to it that there is a proper and necessary funding of the NHS to carry on with its life saving role as a vital irreplaceable service for the working class and the youth of the UK!