After visiting Newark hospital on Thursday, Green Party leader Natalie Bennett was critical of both the Labour and the Coalition Government for adopting policies that have led to a much-reduced hospital service for Newark and the surrounding area.
She said: “Privatisation and cuts to funding have both contributed to this problem. Labour' Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme left Newark hospital with a growing debt that is taking money away from patient care.
“Labour's introduction of the so-called internal market has also led to creeping privatisation, a policy that the Coalition Government has pursued with great vigour. We now see here in Newark the failure of the health policy of both governments, driven as they are by dogmatic determination to treat social care, health and education as marketable commodities to taken from public hands and handed over for the generation of private profit.”
Natalie Bennett was accompanied by David Kirwan, the Green Party candidate in coming by-election on 5th June. David Kirwan spoke of his deep concern for healthcare in Newark, saying that in his work with the union UNISON, he sees every day the problems caused by the privatisation policies of the Government.
He said: 'Healthcare in the Newark area has suffered an undeniable reduction in local services, with planned and emergency care being provided by hospitals involving up to an hours travel.
Whilst I acknowledge the benefits of centres of excellence in certain care, the need for initial care and triage locally is essential and continued local care provided when possible.
'It is essential for the well being of the people of this constituency that emergency services are restored to Newark.'
He went on to say that the only way to save and re-introduce needed services at Newark hospital was to change the direction for the NHS planned by all the major parties.
Speaking of the Green Party's policy for health care, Natalie Bennett said: “The Green Party believes that the profit motive has no place in health care. The party is committed to investment in the NHS, reversal of privatisation and service provision at a local level, paid for by a fair level of taxation and a determined effort to crack down on tax evasion and avoidance. Most service need to be provided locally, so that relatives and friends able to visit their loved ones with the minimum of travel and expense.”
She added: We also need to tackle our unhealthy society, with our long working hours culture, failure to make adequate provision for walking, cycling and sport, polluted air and poor housing standards.”