LONDON, December 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Unite Welcomes Level of Funding for Primary Care Trusts

Unite the Union has welcomed the funding levels for NHS primary care trusts (PCTs) for the next two years - but has warned it should not be 'frittered away on misguided excursions into privatisation'.

Unite, the largest union in the country, has constantly campaigned against the marketisation of the NHS in recent years, as it considers that it is detrimental to patient/client care, an ineffective use of resources, and leads to a worsening of pay and conditions for staff.

Unite's National Officer for Health, Karen Reay welcomed the announcement of Health Secretary, Alan Johnston that PCTs will receive GBP164bn over the next two years - an average annual increase of 5.5%.

Karen Reay said: 'In the current economic climate, this funding commitment is to be warmly welcomed and demonstrates the government's continued financial support for the NHS since 1997.'

'However, in recent years, too much of the taxpayers' money has been frittered on misguided excursions into the world of privatisation, where shareholder profit comes before patient care.'

'Money that should have been spent on frontline quality care in the hospitals and health centres of the UK has been diverted into expensive Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) and under-used Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) and the employment of legions of management consultants.'

'In the year that we celebrate the 60th birthday of Aneurin Bevan's creation - the NHS - we urge the government to end its sad love affair with the private companies that want to turn the health service into a market place.'

For further information, please ring: Karen Reay, National Officer, Health, Unite, +44(0)7798-531-004; Shaun Noble, Communications Officer, +44(0)20-7780-4080 (direct line), +44(0)7768-693-940 (mobile)