{"id":23324,"date":"2020-08-21T10:51:28","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T09:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=23324"},"modified":"2020-08-21T10:51:29","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T09:51:29","slug":"weve-just-been-thrown-under-the-bus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=23324","title":{"rendered":"‘We’ve just been thrown under the bus’"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n\n

Earlier this week, health secretary Matt Hancock dropped a bombshell announcement laying out his plans to entirely scrap Public Health England (PHE) in the middle of a pandemic, a decision which was met with heavy criticism from all sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parts of what PHE does will now be merged with NHS Track and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre to form a new body, the National Institute for Health Protection, with the rest of the organisation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vital work to be subsumed into the NHS, in primary care, pharmacies and local authorities \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in arguably the biggest shake-up of public health in generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his speech on Tuesday (August 18), Hancock praised PHE staff for the \u00e2\u20ac\u0098vital\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and \u00e2\u20ac\u0098life-saving\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 work they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done amid the pandemic. But these words are cold comfort for staff who have been left blindsided by the timing and abruptness of the announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite rep Camille Tsang, who works as a senior data manager for influenza and now COVID-19 vaccines, said she was stunned by the news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She and her colleagues first heard rumblings of the announcement when the news was leaked to the media last weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bVarious articles in the media were circulated on our work WhatsApp group but we had to wait until Tuesday to hear the official announcement. Before Matt Hancock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s speech, we thought maybe this could simply be a rebranding exercise \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which I thought was unacceptable anyway because it would mean a lot of wasted taxpayers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 money. But I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think anyone expected it to be a wholesale scrapping of the PHE.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhen he made the official announcement, I was absolutely fuming.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite member and PHE healthcare scientist Jake Hall, who, like Camille, has also now become heavily involved in COVID-19 work, said he was likewise aghast by the announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bMy first reaction was anger because of the way that this government has dealt with the pandemic and the way that this government views working people \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just despicable. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re treated like scum; like dirt. But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m also very angry on behalf of our communities – the people in this country who we work for. PHE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mission statement is protecting and improving the nation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s health. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s meant to be universal. And now we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve just been thrown under the bus.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Public health is global health’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Camille and Jake vehemently objected to the way the government has spun the new National Institute for Health Protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOne of my biggest concerns is that this new organisation will deal with \u00e2\u20ac\u0098external threats\u00e2\u20ac\u2122,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Camille told UniteLIVE. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a lot of this talk about \u00e2\u20ac\u0098biosecurity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and \u00e2\u20ac\u0098counter-terrorism\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 which is really concerning because with disease, there are no borders. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not an external or internal threat \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just a threat to human life. Public health is global health. From an ideological point of view it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really worrying.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jake agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s definitely an undercurrent of racism and xenophobia,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bViruses don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care about borders, and neither should we. Public health is about everybody \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interconnected and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s global. This re-organisation is going to negatively affect the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ability to look after its citizens.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underfunded and understaffed<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jake and Camille said that even before the pandemic, morale at PHE was low because they had endured nearly a decade of successive pay cuts and freezes, chronic understaffing and massive budget cuts which have shrunk their overall budget by 25 per cent over the last seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a situation we could dwell on or really address because we had so much vital work to do and we just had to get on with the job at hand,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Camille said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe had to do the work because there was no one else to do it.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camille also highlighted the fact that NHS Test and Trace has 35 times the budget of the PHE as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAt the moment money is no object, and it makes you wonder why many of our staff have been on a pay freeze for so many years and have had staff reduced because of austerity\u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a real frustration.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the massive stress and strain that the workforce is under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help when you have the media briefing against you constantly and you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the support of your own government,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Jake said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re constantly doing you down. Everyone has sacrificed, even those not directly involved in COVID-19 work. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve sacrificed time with our families, and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve put our families\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 health at risk because we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had to come into work during the pandemic.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camille said that since pandemic began, she and her colleagues have been working flat out, often working 10-hour days, six or even seven days a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere is widespread recognition that we, at PHE are being scapegoated for the mistakes this government has made amid the pandemic. We also really need to recognize that we have been underfunded and understaffed for so long, and now to be punished like this \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very unfair.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHE staff are now all very worried about what the re-organisation will mean for their jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been given very little information; there aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t any consultation documents we can refer to,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Camille noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere are huge questions around people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s terms and conditions. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen in the media that our terms and conditions won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t change and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been reassured that there aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going to be any redundancies but when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re getting rid of a large part of the organisation, \u00c2\u00a0and we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happening at the moment, how can you say that there won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be any redundancies?\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Privatisation by the backdoor<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, UniteLIVE highlighted the appointment of Barronness Dido Harding<\/a>, Tory peer and businesswoman, as interim chief of the new body that will replace PHE. Both Jake and Camille denounced the decision and said it was a harbinger for privatisation by the backdoor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDido Harding is completely inappropriate for the role,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Jake said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bShe has a history of failing upwards and she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very much in favour of getting private companies involved in public work. We stand for public health not private wealth and so her appointment in and of itself is totally at odds with our core values.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camille added that Baronness Harding also has a track history of poor information governance and data protection, after she presided over massive cyber-attack scandal as mobile phone provider TalkTalk\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s CEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re entrusting her to oversee the handling of public health data? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a critical time amid the pandemic, and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to give this to her? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really unbelievable.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘We’re not just for a pandemic’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above all, PHE staff are angry that public health \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which encompasses a wide range of functions \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is being dismantled at a time when every single one of its functions will be needed now more than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe re-organisation has completely disregarded the health improvement work that PHE does and that will be absolutely vital in the months and years ahead,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Jake said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhen this pandemic is over, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to have a massive mental health crisis on our hands, one that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s already started, and one that we won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be able to cope with if we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have cohesive plan \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this is a public health issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bObesity is also another major public health issue. But you have the government on the one hand saying obesity increases your chances of dying from COVID-19, and then on the other hand they have the \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Eat out to help out\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 scheme. This is all to get rid of the public health focus on obesity. All that long-term health improvement focus is just going to be decimated and what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s left will be sold to the highest bidder.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camille agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not just for a pandemic \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re for life,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe things that PHE does goes from vaccination for babies all the way through to dementia work. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s through the whole life cycle. To just say the rest of it isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t important — it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a complete misunderstanding of what we do. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s such a slap in the face.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s PHE staff are resolute in their opposition to what shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called a \u00e2\u20ac\u015brisky, and indeed irresponsible\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 reorganisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not saying PHE is perfect \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I know that reforms are needed,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Jake said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut the reforms that need to be made are the complete opposite what this government is doing \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we need less political interference and more funding. This re-organisation must be halted, or else it will very literally cost people their lives.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Hajera Blagg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week, health secretary Matt Hancock dropped a bombshell announcement laying out his plans to entirely scrap Public Health England (PHE) in the middle of a pandemic, a decision which was met with heavy criticism from all sides. Parts of what PHE does will now be merged with NHS Track and Trace and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1308,17],"tags":[1295,1397,1395,394],"wps_subtitle":"Unite PHE members speak out after government scraps Public Health England","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23324"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23328,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23324\/revisions\/23328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}