It’s time to explode myths of privatisation: the needs of the people must come before corporate profiteering, writes Helen O’Connor

The cuts that have run rife across the public sector must be ended for good. The privatisation that is destroying every publicly provided service in this country is not a solution to rescue failing services.

Far from being ‘more efficient’ and providing ‘choice,’ privateers taking over the public sector have worsened service delivery, and workers rights’ have been utterly compromised on the altar of corporate greed, warns Helen O’Connor (right). Here are some points made in her recent article (with added links and graphics):

Privatised water isn’t safe to drink in certain parts of this country. Thames Water, a company that turned over a profit of £2 billion last year, is now lobbying government to increase household water bills by 40%.

In the NHS of the 1990s to 2000s everybody was treated appropriately, adequately and safely. Patients were admitted to bed within four to six hours and there was no “corridor care” or people being looked after in the backs of ambulances for hours. Then service delivery and workers rights’ were utterly compromised on the altar of corporate greed

Transfer of undertakings and protection of employment has allowed private companies to take over the employment of NHS and council workers, break away from nationally agreed terms and conditions like the NHS Agenda for Change or National Joint Council and impose lesser pay, terms and conditions. The right to a decent sick-pay scheme, to be paid on time for hours worked, secure hours, and holidays quickly became luxuries of the past. Even the basic right to a legible payslip or a payslip at all, the right to be treated in a fair and decent way, goes out of the window in the rush to profit from the contract.

Now it is difficult to get an appointment with a GP or to get treatment on the NHS. Pulse magazine reported in 2023 that over half of the adults (52%) taking part in an ONS survey reported it had been difficult or very difficult to get a GP appointment

Helen O’Connor describes the NHS as being in a state of collapse as nurses and doctors emerge from training unable to secure jobs: “There are shortages everywhere but little investment goes into filling vacancies to deliver safe and effective services” and commented that wherever the private sector gets a foothold in the NHS, councils, schools, waste collection or public utilities, the public and the workers suffer.

The out-sourcing of ancillary services like cleaning have been outsourced, leading to a deterioration in standards and the rise of the hospital “superbugs” and the outsourcing of cleaners in hospitals, of teaching assistants to multi-academy trusts, of waste collection drivers, loaders or street cleaners has led to poor service”. (Graphic below, We Own It)

She adds that council-run social care services have been shut and many people (service users) are unable to afford the care they needed on the “personal budget” ; neglect and abuse of the most vulnerable in society became more widespread and carers have been  over-burdened and put at risk.

Helen O’Connor concludes that the NHS and public services can deliver for the public, but investment needs to go directly into the front line and not be siphoned off into private companies. Public money must go directly into jobs, terms and conditions and the needs of the people must come before corporate profiteering.

Helen O’Connor is a GMB organiser writing in a personal capacity. She first spent 28 years working as an NHS nurse Read her article here.

Diana Schumacher writes: “It’s my belief that all essential public services such as water, energy, the transport networks, the  NHS etc. should be renationalised. They might then again serve the needs of the public”.

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