UK PM admits use of private network amid strikes and crises in the British ‘SUS’

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitted on Wednesday that he had used the UK’s private healthcare network in the past, but said he was registered at an NHS (National Health Service) health centre, a public system similar to Brazilian SUS.

The declaration takes place during a wave of strikes in the United Kingdom that has been going on for seven months, although some intervals – this Wednesday, ambulance teams, drivers and paramedics are paralyzed.

Workers ask for readjustments in wages, lagged in relation to inflation that reached 11.1% in October last year, the highest in 41 years. The shutdowns left the healthcare system on the brink of collapse in late 2022.

The Guardian newspaper had already revealed that the prime minister was registered in a private clinic in London whose consultations cost £ 250 (R $ 1,600). Sunak, however, had not commented on the matter publicly until this Wednesday.

He confirmed the use of the private network when responding to a question from opposition MP, Labor Cat Smith, during the first session of the year in the British Parliament. After describing the alleged lack of dentists in the public system of two English cities, Smith asked how long the prime minister had waited to have his last appointment.

“I am registered with an NHS doctor. I have used the private healthcare system in the past and am grateful to Friarage hospital for the fantastic care they have given my family over the years. The truth is, I am proud to come from an NHS family. NHS”, said Sunak, who is the son of a public system doctor and a pharmacist and owner of a personal fortune greater than that of members of the royal family.

In a Twitter post, the MP said Sunak dodged the question by mentioning registering with an NHS doctor. “Something most of us do when we are born and use for our entire lives,” she said.

During the session, the premier said that the strike this Wednesday is terrifying for patients who need urgent care. “The frightening thing is now people don’t know if when they call 999 they will get the treatment they need,” Sunak told MPs, referring to the NHS emergency number.

During Wednesday’s stoppage, ambulance workers will only attend to the most urgent cases. The first strike in the category took place in December, and other acts are planned until the end of the month.

On Monday (9), Sunak met with Transport, Health and Education unions to try to find a way out, but did not manage to achieve concrete advances. On Tuesday (10), then, he presented a bill to enact “minimum services” in essential sectors.

“Forcing workers to work against their will is a scandal,” said Mick Lynch, spokesman for the rail union RMT. The British government, he says, is betting on the failure of negotiations with unions to prolong strikes and impoverish workers.

“For me, this is sabotage. They wanted these strikes,” he told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday. “It is a deliberate policy by the government of this country to flatten the wages of workers in all sectors and make them poorer than they were.”

Health Minister Steve Barclay told MPs that the ambulance strikes were regrettable and said he was concerned about the impact on patient safety despite agreements with ambulance staff to respond to the most serious cases.

Labor Party leader Keir Starmer criticized the government during the session and accused it of failing to negotiate with workers. “In the 13 years of the last Labor government, there has not been a single national NHS strike,” he said. “If the PM had negotiated with the nurses before Christmas, they would not be on strike. If he had negotiated with the first-aiders, they would not be on strike either. Why is he choosing to prolong the misery rather than end the shutdowns?”

Sunak insisted he wanted a “constructive dialogue” with unions, but said wage agreements could increase inflation. “No one is denying unions the freedom to strike,” he said of the new law unveiled on Tuesday, “but it’s also important to balance it with people’s right to access essential services.”

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