patients movement to cheque-book medicine.
confront the health cuts.
It is not the leaders of the health service trade unions who are fighting the staff shortages, the cuts, and the closures.
All of the actions in defence of the NHS have been taken from the shopfioor, while the union burcaucracies have led us up to the top of the hill and down the other side.
And it is not exclusively the branch official and shop stewards inside the hospitals who are taking the lead. Health workers from unions have become militant over ine curbacks.
CONSUMERS That militancy has had to look for support beyond the public sector unions. Once the Hounslow staff resolved on resistance to the closure. look the issue to the trades council.
It also meant linking up with the consumers of the health The Greet, Weir, EGA. Bethnal Green Plaistow hospital campaigns — to name only those in LOGGOn - have all depended on outside support not tessi because of lack of backing from the unions.
This is whar shaped HOLES UW Campaig! welcomed and encouraged davone who wanted to come in bu Be Campai of political groups, and local LINK UP But it's impossible to save one hospital in isolation. The moment you get into struggle you find there are lots of other people in all parts country who are doing the same the scalpel that the Government has taken to health care: the multi-million pound cuts which are closing hospitals, placing nurses on the dole queue, and killing on the ever-lengthening waiting That is the state of the NHS, which was formed in 1948 out of the fierce opposition of the workers"
Below CARL BRECKER, chairperson of the Hounslow Occupation Committee, describes the lessons of that battle and the measures necessary to thing.
You begin to link up and draw support from them, Yet a campaign can't exist on thin air. You are forced to build up your base inside the hospital, and at the same time strengthen the campaign at district and area level.
This is what led us to linking up with shop stewards at these levels of the multi-bier NHS.
The stage consolidate of" health workers, beth community coate because It's impossible health workers alone to take on such a huge task as defending the NHS, The Fightback bulletin grew of ibese devclopments, organisers based Hounslow occupation.
POLICIES Health workers have come to a clearer understanding of the policies needed to defend the and NHS. We have to detine what kind of health service we need, and that brings everything into SUCCEE The campaigns have forood us to raise issues that have never emerged before: challenging the the hierarchical structure of the NHS, fighting for democracy. defining bealth maintaining that it must be those needs which determine expenditure.
Fightback is available Iron be Hounslow Haspital Occu pation, Staines Road, Harrow.
Middx. Highly recommended is Fightback's 24-page pamphlet seeping Hospitals detailing the experience of the work-ins ut the EGA, Plaistow and Hounslow, Price 10p plas p&p.
lists. area-wide WAS and logether On Friday, worken at five have UK elected all-stall ECA STAYS OK