Labour’s NHS privatisation civil war exposed as health ministers oppose policy

Andrew Gwynne calls for a complete ban of the practice

Labour’s shadow health team of ministers is split from top to bottom over a core Labour NHS policy, research has revealed.

In May, shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Labour “would use the spare capacity in the private sector to get patients seen faster”.

“The Conservatives are failing to make use of private sector capacity and patients are paying the price.”

The bold policy announcement marked a stark contrast to Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, which repeatedly warned Brits that the Tories were privatising the NHS.

It appears Labour is completely split over the policy, however, with five out of six of Wes Streeting’s Shadow Health ministerial colleagues previously going on the record to slam the idea of NHS private sector involvement.

READ MORE: Labour’s commitment to NHS questioned with private health investor donations

Rosena Allin-Khan MP, Andrew Gwynne MP, Feryal Clark MP, Karin Smyth MP and Ashley Dalton MP have all publicly condemned private sector involvement with the health service, yet would be responsible for doing just that were Labour to win power at the General Election.

Shadow mental health minister Ms Allin-Khan slammed private sector provision, “which ultimately often lets patients down”.

Feryal Clarke, shadow minister for primary care, said she’d spent her career “fighting the privatisation of the NHS” and “would continue to oppose privatisation if elected”.

Karin Smith said use of the private sector by the NHS had left the health service “exposed” to Coronavirus.

Ashley Dalton said private sector profits had soared and patients “left behind” under Tory privatisation, and Andrew Gwynne said Britain should “sweep away” the use of private providers in the NHS.

Only Liz Kendal, Labour’s shadow minister for social care, is on record showing loyalty to Wes Streeting and Keir Starmer’s policy of private sector NHS involvement.

In 2015 she said: “There will remain a role for the private and voluntary sectors where they can add extra capacity to the NHS or challenges to the system”.

Responding to the revelation of major a Labour split, a Conservative source told the Express: “Labour is so divided on health they cannot be trusted to deliver for patients”.

“While they squabble among themselves, this government is relentlessly focused on tackling the backlog caused by the pandemic and cutting waiting lists.

“That includes using the independent sector to turbocharge our efforts to make sure that people get the treatment they need more quickly, whilst always ensuring the NHS remains free at the point of use.”

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Don’t miss…
Third of migrants moved off former RAF base in fresh blow to Rishi Sunak[LATEST]
Row erupts as Rishi Sunak vampire advert rejected as ‘slanderous'[LATEST]
Angela Rayner put on spot by BBC’s Nick Robinson over Labour U-turns[WATCH]

The Labour civil war on the NHS may soon break out into the open, as the Express can also reveal a plot among left-wing members and MPs to take the fight to Wes Streeting over the private sector plans.

Speaking at a Socialist Health Association event, Corbynite MP Zarah Sultana said members, socialists and trade unionists need to “organise” and “fight” to ensure a future Labour Government would “end all forms of privatisation” in the NHS.

She said: “Getting rid of the profit motive within healthcare and we know that that fight for the NHS is existential right now”.

“It requires all of us to organise and to make sure that, when the Labour Party do get into Government, it is to end all forms of privatisation.”

A Labour spokesperson said: “Labour has led calls to use spare capacity in the private sector to bring down NHS waiting lists for more than 18 months.

“If Labour had been in office since January last year, an extra 330,000 people would have received treatment in private hospitals on NHS terms. Instead, waiting lists continue to rise while Rishi Sunak dithers and delays.

“We won’t leave anyone to wait in pain while hospital beds that could be used lie empty. The next Labour government will never hesitate to act so patients are seen faster.”

Source: Read Full Article