Ministers must rule out PFI-style deals for new neighbourhood health centres, says UNISON
Responding to the government’s announcement that new neighbourhood health centres are to be part-funded through public-private partnerships, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said today (Tuesday):
“After years of Tory under-investment, much of the NHS estate is in poor condition and requires urgent attention.
“The damage inflicted by public-private schemes in the past is well documented. Some NHS trusts are still repaying debts they were saddled with decades ago.
“Reaching for a new spin on an old idea is not the change the NHS needs. These new plans should be ditched without delay in favour of straightforward public investment.
“Mortgaging the future of the NHS didn’t work before and it won’t work now. The chancellor has already ruled out the use of PFI-style schemes for hospitals.
“The government shouldn’t be weighing new health centres down with unnecessary debt before they’ve even got off the ground.”
Note to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk
Dan Ashley M: 07508 080349 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
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