Published: 29 June, 2012

• WE are appalled, but not surprised, that Whittington Hospital has employed a private, car parts company, Unipart, to service the massive cuts programme at the hospital.

We understand it has already employed another private company, Siemens, which makes hearing aids, to run its audiology department. This is despite repeated reassurances that it would not be privatising services at the hospital.

Both these companies will be making profits from the money we pay for our health needs.

Both these companies have been or will be sacking staff in order to make profits, as well as to implement the massive cuts programme this government is imposing on the NHS. The Whittington is already cutting many “low-priority treatments”.

They are not investigating lumps and bumps as they used to, with nasty life-threatening implications.

What else is it cutting?

We need all the services that the Whittington Hospital provides.

We need all the excellent staff there.

We do not want them to have to reapply for fewer and downgraded posts, as is happening at the moment.

We call upon the management at the Whittington to let us know of all privatised services that have occurred at the hospital in the past year and of those they are planning, to inform us of all cuts and losses in staffing, to inform us about waiting lists and to let us know which treatments will no longer be available to us as patients.

We would like patients to join our Whitt Watch Campaign and let us know what cuts in health services they have
suffered.

SHIRLEY FRANKLIN
Chair, Defend the Whittington
Hospital Coalition
defendwhittington@gmail.com