Should we march to save our NHS?

UNISON's National Executive Council (NEC) met today. The first debates focused on NEC policy on amendments to motions for our National Delegate Conference in Liverpool in a fortnight's time.



The most heated and important debate focused on a recommendation from our Policy Committee that the NEC should oppose calls for a national demonstration in defence of our National Health Service.



I was among a minority who opposed this recommendation, believing that UNISON should take a bold lead to give a national focus for the growing number of local campaigns defending our health service.



Unfortunately a majority were won to the view that "now is not the time" for such a national demonstration as there isn't a "mood" for it - a view which, we were told, had been taken by delegates at Health Conference.



The future of the NHS is a citizenship, not a service group, issue - and the 25,000 recently on the streets of Lewisham demonstrate the support that will be shown for the national demonstration in defence of the National Health Service when (not if) it is called.



Our General Secretary, Dave Prentis, made the sound point that UNISON may well find ourselves having to decide to support such a national demonstration called by others.



UNISON Conference will have the final say on UNISON policy.

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