Save Our NHS, Opt Out of Data grab and join our protests 3 July 2021
GMB union warns Save Our NHS and OPT OUT of NHS data grab
To Stop this, you can’’Opt Out’’ of the NHS data grab. Patients can write to their GP asking that their personal data is not shared for any reason other than for personal care. We have produced a letter for use to hand in at your local practice, this can be used for yourself or someone you care for, for example a child.
Click here to download letter to Opt Out for your GP
There are also online options for opting out of the data sharing, we have a link to the NHS Digital site where you can set your preferences.
Click here to OPT OUT at NHS digital - https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-data-opt-out
The deadline for opting out has now been moved to 1st September 2021.
GMB union taking to the streets in protest
On July 3rd 2021, people up and down the country will take to the streets on what will be the 73rd birthday of the NHS. We will be celebrating what is without doubt, the greatest free healthcare service in the world, but we will also be protesting at the Tory government attacks on this vital service.
On Saturday 3rd July, the GMB North West & Irish Region will be joining sister unions and local NHS campaign groups to show solidarity with our NHS colleagues who have worked so tirelessly and selflessly during the Pandemic and beyond. If you are available to attend one of the local events to show your support, we would love to see you there with flags or banners. The NHS is ours and we need to show we want to keep it that way.
Stop privatisation. Oppose the White Paper. Save the NHS.
We will have a GMB union presence on Saturday 3 July 2021 at:
- Liverpool, St George’s Hall Rally at 11am
- Manchester, Piccadilly Gardens Rally at 11 am
- Chester, Countess Hospital- Assemble at 11am- March to Town Hall 11:30 Rally at 12pm
NHS proposed white paper
The proposed NHS White Paper gives ever more access to private companies who seek to profit from a publicly funded NHS, making it easier for them to make money for their shareholders which will mean less money going back into the service for patient care.
Big tech companies will have access to private patient information including personal and medical information. The NHS has the largest collection of machine readable data in the world, it’s estimated value is between £5-£10 billion per year. This would be readily available in a date store which was has already been set up by Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Faculty who deal in artificial intelligence and Palantir.
Patient care would also suffer as patients will be encouraged to use call centres in the first instance and there would be less opportunity to have a face to face appointment with your GP, this would obviously be a detriment to some groups, for example the elderly. Patients will be discharged from hospital care faster which in turn will put the burden of care onto family members, increasing the amount of unpaid work that is already done.
Possibly the most worrying part of the proposal is the formation of local ICS’s (Integrated Care Systems). This is being held up as a model for more joined up care-planning at a local level, however Government will set the budget for funding for each ICS, they in turn will be responsible for sourcing the most affordable healthcare they can as they will be under pressure to reduce costs. This will clearly affect the standard of care available, a health service already facing chronic staff shortages and an underpaid workforce will struggle to compete with private providers, whose ultimate aim will be to move to a private health care model.
NHS Privatisation by Stealth
NHS privatisation is happening by stealth, in some areas many minor procedures are now only available by private providers, currently still free for NHS patients but this White Paper is another step towards the destruction of the Health Service as we know it.
