Defend Public Healthcare

Patients in Britain could see their health care services cut as a result of botched public private partnership (P3) hospitals.     The Public Accounts Committee of the British House of Commons has flagged special concern about the “unaffordable” P3 deals.    Public Accounts Chair Margaret Hall said, "We are particularly concerned that the financial viability of a number of trusts is being undermined by the fact that they are locked into unaffordable PFI (the British phrase for P3s) contracts.” She added that ministers were unable to provide MPs with reassurance that financial problems will not damage the quality of care or access .   “The Department of Health could not explain to us how it will deal with an NHS trust that goes bankrupt. Nor could it provide reassurance that financial problems would not damage the quality of care or equality of access to all citizens, wherever they live.” At least 22 health care trusts operating 60 hospitals are...

In the Ontario Budget Bill, the Liberals tried to make some changes to interest arbitration for essential service workers like police officers, firefighters, and hospital workers who are not allowed, by law, to strike so must use interest arbitration to settle collective bargaining disputes.  The amendments would have made it hard if not impossible for respected arbitrators to work on interest arbitrations. The NDP opposed the proposals. So did the Progressive Conservatives (PCs) -- but for different reasons.  They wanted the process turned even more in favour of employers, at the expense of essential employees. As a result, the proposals were defeated and the Budget bill was passed without them.  The governing Liberals said, however, that they would bring changes to interest arbitration back to the legislature in the fall, with Dalton McGuinty saying he wanted to work with the PCs (so he could tack right). That could be a tall order.  So far,only the NDP...