CINDERELLAS OF THE WARDS

AYS ¡UPE Rocketing food prices and now the imposition of the new budget means that the standard of living of hospital workers is not merely "frozen', ', it is to be driven down even from its present appal lingly low level.

Furthermore, far 'endangering' patient hospital employees are in fact, defending the Health Service by their action.

Faced with the severe economic crisis, the Tories have set out to make the working-class pay for it by greater exploitation at work, by attacks on the standard of living and on jobs and by reducing to a bare minimum the public services used mainly by the workers.

The Health Service is one sector to be broken up and its remains are to be either destroyed or, where possible, turned into profitable business. Wards, clinics and hospitals are being closed. The wages of ancillary workers and nurses are kept down to force workers out and close down departments because of 'staff shortages' Elsewhere private contractors are brought in to do work traditionally done by ancillary While working-class patients wait longer and longer for beds, YOUR private patients • can buy • the jump • the queue and get tax concessions for doing SO.

Plans for the takeover of private wings of National Health hospitals by private firms were revealed in January. It was admitted that Social Services Secretary Sir Keith Joseph had discussed the project with representatives of the Harley Street Clinic as early as 1971.

Said Joseph: I think private practice has a great deal to contribute to the health and benefit of the people of this country' (Workers Press report.)

In fact, the main concern of hospital authorities during the last ten years has been to cut down on jobs, a plan which must seriously endanger the service provided and in consequence, the patients. If action is not taken hospitals will not only be closed for a few weeks because of a strike, but permanently because • of Tory policy.

Naturally, the hospital workers' strikes come under the smear and scaremongering attacks from the capitalist Press. These are now guaranteed with any major strikes.

A few senior consultants have been dug out to allege that the workers' actions are a threat to lives. When it comes to details of who, when and where, they conveniently retire behind 'professional etiquette. No should be fooled by claimed their 'impartiality'. Some of them certainly have an interest in supporting private enterprise and Tory policy.

As NUPE pointed out re. cently, one of these people can earn in a week through treatting private patients, almost as much as an ancillary worker in the same hospital gets in a year.

On the other hand, the fact that thousands of doctors and nurses actively support the ancillaries, and in the case of nursing staff, are taking action to forward their own 40 per cent claim, is hushed-up by Fleet Street.

1 he 230,000 National Health ancillary workers carry out a variety of important tasks vital to the running of the 2,900 hospitals in Britain.

There are roughly 100,000 domestic workers, mainly women, involved in jobs such as sweeping and polishing floors, washing and scrubbing walls, floors, baths, lavatorypans, urinals and sluices, dusting and polishing furniture and fittings, and washing up.

There are 40,000 catering workers — cooks, butchers, bakers and kitchen staff who prepare the meals and clean the kitchen equipment. Also 20,000 porters who convey equipment, supplies and messages round the departments of a hospital.

They play an important part in the care of patients, helping the incapacitated and keeping up the morale and confidence of both long-term patients and NUPE SAYS SUPPORT YOUR HOSPITAL of newcomers. Another of their constant tasks is the disposal of refuse, especially of infected material.

A further 10,000 workers are involved in laundry operations, including the handling and washing of heavily blood-soaked and soiled linen. Other ancillary duties include mortuary work, gardening, driving, switchboard operating and stores control.

Another 20,000 who do not come under the ancillaries' pay system are electricians, builders and other workers concerned with the maintenance of equipment and services.

A 1970 government . report found union membership covered 70 per cent of men in ancillary work, 60 per cent of women and even 40 per cent of part-time workers.

ES work go period.

St John's Hospital, Oxford, employed 12 servants, artisans and farm labourers in the year 1380. Farm labourers were employed because the establishments were required to produce their own food. At a York hospital 16 male and female servants were part of the workforce along with cooks, brewers, bakers, smiths and carters.

There was often no clear division between nursing and ancillary staff as reflected the old term 'sister-housewife' for a woman who both tended the sick and undertook the essential chores.

At a Coventry hospital servants for the sick were required 'to see them clean kept in their persons and houses and for dressing their meats, washing of them and ministering all things to them For the poor, up to the middle of the last century illness meant ending up in the workhouse sick • wards. The workhouses brought together the poorest of the old, the unemployable, the orphans and the physically and mentally sick. All inmates were required to occupy themselves continuously, either working or praying. Those too ill to work were tended by the other paupers who invariably caught their diseases.

The great fear authorities was that idleness and laziness might be en-