THE MOST serious opposition Margaret Thatcher's government faces is to its plans to dismantle the NHS. The government is deliberately provoking a crisis in the NHS in order to justify plans to degut it. They have created a cash crisis at a time when the government has no shortage of funds - quite the reverse.
The government is putting a financial squeeze on the NHS and on health workers to create the idea that it is impossible for the NHS to go on and alternatives must be found.
This is entirely false. Even if there were a financial squeeze, which there is not; the great majority of people would support the transfer of funds from nuclear weapons and defence to the health service, not to mention the resources that would be generated by eliminating mass unemployment.
The press. have vigorously come to Thatcher's support with souped up coverage of private health care schemes, and promotion of alternatives to the NHS. But none of the alternatives being canvassed by the government would provide anything approaching what is presently provided by the NHS, without an enormous increase in costs. A single national health system is by far the most efficient and cheapest method of providing health care, including for central government.
Thatcher's goal in attacking the health service is not simply economic, but ideological and political. The NHS remains the main bastion of support for collective social provision of services which Thatcher wants to destroy. The Tories have undermined mass popular support for public housing through the run down of services and the right to buy offensive. They have undermined sup port for comprehensive public education, which the Baker bill is aimed at.
Now they want to achieve the same thing in the health service. But this is proving the most difficult so far.
Squeezing nurses and other health workers' pay and conditions and creating an inefficient health service, is part of this strategy of trying to make the private sector more attractive to users and workers alike.
Notwithstanding the government's efforts however, the NHS is immensely popular. It has overwhelming majority support. The health workers' and nurses and other health workers' strikes have won further support, despite Thatcher's attempts to use them to alienate health service users.
The popular opposition to its plans for the NHS is the single most important political obstacle that the government faces. Health workers must now start receiving the forthright support that they deserve from Labour's front bench. There must be no more disgraceful statements, like that of Robin Cook warning nurses to 'think long and hard before taking strike action'.
of the country are already fully. protests have highlighted the government's plans ment and defending the NHS.
MARCH AND RALLY Saturday 5 March Assemble 11am Embankment March to Hyde Park 12 noon
Socialist Action ACTiON March 1988