Clear evidence of Tory NHS privatisation - UNISON response 09/03/2011

UNISON, the UK's largest union, said today that management consultancy McKinsey's involvement in one fifth of existing pathfinder consortia* was clear confirmation of Tory plans to drive NHS privatisation. Karen Jennings, UNISON Assistant General Secretary, said:

"UNISON has long been warning that the Tory's titanic reorganisation would leave the door wide open for private companies to dominate our NHS - and here is the evidence.

"Just one private company - McKinsey - has already signed up one fifth of the pathfinder consortia, and we know other big companies are getting their teeth stuck into large chunks of the rest. They include management consultants and big accountancy firms like KPMG and Price Waterhouse Coopers.

"The health service is about what's best for patients, not the bottom line. Less than two years ago McKinsey produced a much-derided report which called for more than one hundred thousand health workers to be sacked. Their vision for the NHS is clear, and was widely panned as being disastrous. This is the type of company the Tories are happy to welcome through the front door of our health service."

*As reported in Pulse magazine - McKinsey is a management consultancy firm.