No to NHS sell-off

sick writes: You know when you read a headline that just trips the world from under you? For those of us who'd been trying not to pay attention, there was a certain vertigo that came from seeing that last night they rubber stamped the privitisation of the NHS. You know, the NHS. That system that has saved the lives of probably at least half a dozen people you love. That remarkable outcome of struggle for a better world in our strange little country. The service that used to be about saying- making money out of illness is wrong. That free universal healthcare is too important to leave to buisness. They're selling it off. And within 40 minutes of a shout going out 20 or so folk had gathered outside the Bristol Royal Infirmary, to show solidarity with the people whose vocations and lives are threatened, and to get some commuter traffic honking, so that we can hear each others grief and defiance. I was a bit worried the car horns might bother patients, but the ambulance drivers were some of the most enthusiastic participants. It was great to just speak to people about it, to have banter with patients and staff and create a bit of space outside that wasn't about buisness as usual. Spontaneous demo against privitisation of NHS

Anticuts writes: NHS: the end is Nye. So the Condems have got this appalling bill through, which will lead to a commodification of peoples house, which could ironically be labelled sickening, it is likely to lead to disparate health services as GP's are forced to protect budgets rather than tend to people's health issues. We already have a two tier health system, but this is going to force more people into the private sector as they seek help with health problems, that GP's are going to struggle to provide due to putting money first over people. Also GP's are going to have to deal with internal markets and competition through a new 7 tier system..... Guide to NHS Bill, Pics Bristol NHS Demo and useful links for sharing