National Policy Forum Consultation Document Issued as a discussion document by the Labour Party March 2002 Response by the SHA Preface I’m delighted that you are taking part in the Labour Party’s policy consultation process and I hope you find this document thought-provoking and informative. This is one of five documents produced this year as … Read more

This is our response to the Labour party consultation document Improving Health and Social Care. The Socialist Health Association is keen to play its part in the Labour Party’s policy-making process and to make it a genuine and worthwhile exercise. To this end it has facilitated a number of meetings for Party members and arranged a … Read more

Composite 4 Passed without dissent by Labour Party Conference October 2001 Conference notes that during the General Election Labour promised radical improvements in public services, and this was endorsed by the electorate. This Conference welcomes the Government’s recent commitment to ‘delivering world class public services’, and providing the necessary investment to do the job, but … Read more

The Role Of The Private Sector Submission To Commons Health Committee Inquiry Into The Role Of The Private Sector In The NHS Drafted by Ursula Pearce September 2001 SUMMARY The SHA wishes to express its grave concern that current government policies and proposals will increase the very inequalities that we are all committed to reducing. … Read more

Accepted by Central Council 15th September 2001 Why involve the private sector in the NHS? Serious concerns are developing within the Labour movement about the growth and dependency of the NHS on private finance. The private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnerships (PPP) in the NHS and in other public services pose a serious … Read more

Serious concerns are developing within the Labour movement about the growth and dependency of the NHS on private finance. The private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnerships (PPP) in the NHS and in other public services pose a serious risk of developing into full scale privatisation. When significant amounts of state capital are available … Read more

Democracy and Accountability  in the NHS Plenary session reports WORKSHOP ONE: PARTICIPATION LED BY CHRISTINE HOGG AND DONNA COVEY Should health authorities be directly elected? In Kidderminster we have 19 elected members on Wyre Forest District Council, with 42% of the poll. At present our democracy is too “top down”. Christine Hogg: Language does matter. “Community” … Read more

The Independent Healthcare Association estimate that the private sector can deliver 150,000 operations a year in its 211 hospitals. This is small beer compared with the 6,500,000 NHS operations. The private sector already delivers 20% of all acute mental health provision, 80% of brain injury services and 55% of all medium secure care. There are … Read more

1. Introduction The SHA was founded in the 1930s as the Socialist Medical Association to campaign for the introduction of a National Health Service. Following that initial success, it has continued in existence to focus debate on protecting and improving the NHS, and to campaign on issues of health and inequality. The SHA seeks to … Read more

Summary Eighteen years of Conservative government left the NHS close to breaking point. Labour was elected to save and modernise the NHS. This means building a modern and dependable health service that offers people high-quality treatment and care when and where they need it. Labour’s approach to health is radically different from the Tories’ approach. … Read more