AUSTERITY IS A POLITICAL CHOICE AND WE MUST PROTECT OUR NHS
AUSTERITY IS A POLITICAL CHOICE AND WE MUST PROTECT OUR NHS: GREENS SAYS IT’S TIME TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST
Scottish Green MSP Candidate for the South of Scotland, Sarah Beattie-Smith says it’s time to start putting people before profit and fight against the ever increasing privatisation of our NHS.
As the Scottish Green Party launched its mini manifesto on health this week [Thursday 17th] Beattie-Smith called for the NHS to be kept in public hands and for a review of all contracts with private providers.
The mini manifesto points to the fact that £85m of NHS revenue spending was spent on using the private sector last year - a figure which has risen by 18% since 2009/10. Greens also criticised the fact that private sector PFI debt costs the NHS over £220m in 2015/16 and set out plans for a debt arbitration commission to explore cancelling or significantly renegotiating any damaging PFI contracts.
Beattie-Smith said:“The most recent figures on the use of the private sector in our NHS and on the levels of PFI debts give serious cause for concern. At a time when our public services are already under enormous strain, it’s clear that privatisation of our health service means even deeper cuts. As a Green, I’ll always put people before profit and fight to keep our NHS public.”