Events & meetings – Page 10 – Notts Save Our Services

Campaign saves Hayward House Daycare in Nottingham!

Hayward House Daycare is on the site of Nottingham City Hospital and provides essential drop-in care for cancer sufferers but was going to be closed via the Primary Care Trust at extremely short notice. The campaign Save Hayward House Daycare just been told (at the end of last week) that DAYCARE IS NOW NOT CLOSING and that patients have been given letters of apology from the NHS.

The details are still unclear, and we don’t know if/when referrals will recommence or whether there will be any substantial changes. It is possible that patients with other life-limiting illnesses will in future be referred to Hayward House too, to be treated by experts in palliative care for cancer patients, thus reducing the number of cancer patients receiving the treatment. If so, we don’t know whether there will be any increase in staffing.

Campaigners are mighty relieved, but still wary. And angry. We want to find out who was responsible for the very serious distress that was caused to current patients. The campaign is therefore continuing and will still meet on Monday (May 16th) evening at Carlton Fire Station (7pm start), and we hope to be able to issue a proper press release after that.

We’d all like to say an enormous thanks to everyone who has supported this campaign, and urge you not to go to sleep yet, as we are still unsure of future plans. But thanks to all. If you have any filled petition sheets, we’d like to have them back as they will strengthen our voice when talking to the NHS – please send them to the address on the bottom of the sheet.

This campaign has been self-organised by patients, carers and volunteers. Save Hayward House Daycare

VERY IMPORTANT: JOINT HEALTH SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

The proposed closure of Hayward House daycare has to be examined by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, which combines both City and County Councillors. The meeting at which HH will be on the agenda is on June 14th (starting at 10.15am in room LB41, Loxley House). The role of the Committee is to consider:

Whether, as a statutory body, the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been properly consulted within the consultation process.

Whether, in developing the proposals for service changes, the health body concerned has taken into account the public interest through appropriate patient and public involvement and consultation.

Whether a proposal for changes is in the interests of the local health service.

The Committee can then make recommendations on the basis of what it hears. The Committee has the power to refer the matter to the Secretary of State for Health either where it believes that consultation with patients, and the public has not been satisfactory or where they consider that a proposal of an NHS body is not in the interests of the health service in the area. Where a referral has been made, the Secretary of State may send the referral back to the NHS (in effect, the SHA) for local resolution or may ask the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) to advise him on the matter. The IRP has been set up to provide expert advice on proposed NHS reconfigurations or significant service change. The IRP believes that local determination is the best solution and, before accepting a referral, will wish to be satisfied that all options for local resolution have been fully explored.

The Committee’s response will depend on the evidence that it hears at the meeting on June 14th.

Written submissions are essential. All submissions will need to be received by May 23rd, so that the committee section have time to turn these into a report for the Chairs Briefing on May 25th.

All Submissions need to go to Kim Pocock ( Scrutiny Co-ordinator ), Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG.

So if you feel that the PCT’s decision to close HH daycare does not pass any of the above tests, 1, 2 and 3, then please send in a submission.

Week of action against ATOS Healthcare and the DWP over ‘Work Capability Assessments’ starts May 9th

Disability activists, claimant groups and anti-cuts campaigners have called a week of action against ‘poverty pimps’ ATOS Origin beginning on Monday 9th May 2011, the same week that 1000s of people will march in London or take part in a ‘virtual’ online protest under the banner ‘The Hardest Hit’, against cuts to welfare benefits and allowances for disabled people. Calls have also been made for the media to stop demonising disabled claimants.

Update: Watch video on Guardian website (after annoying advert): Disabled people protest against Atos Origin.

Join Local action: Meet at 11am outside Office Angels (located in the city centre past the right lion. Next door to MAC and opposite The Square bar/club). Angel House, 12-13 Cheapside, City Centre, Nottingham, NG1 2HU. This is an action against treatment of temp workers that will continue at the ATOS Healthcare assessment centre on Stoney Street, Hockley.
Continue reading “Week of action against ATOS Healthcare and the DWP over ‘Work Capability Assessments’ starts May 9th”

Bassettlaw SOS flyer, Letter and Worksop meeting on 12th May 2011

Bassetlaw Save Our Services have a Protect Our People flyer and also announce a meeting in Worksop on 12th May 2011 (details in letter below).

The Editor
Worksop Guardian

Dear Sir

I should be grateful if you would print my letter which is advertising a public meeting on the 12th May.

“Robin Hood, if he were alive today might find a lot about the world that he would recognise. Firstly, that the poor of our land are being robbed to pay the rich, in the form of bigger bonuses and fatter profits for the banks and big business. Secondly, that the poor (that’s you and me – because Bassetlaw is a low paid area) are being expected to get us out of this crisis by borrowing more than we can afford. We will need to do this to make ends meet because our wages, pensions and benefits are failing to keep up with inflation. This is made clear by the Office for Budget Responsibility which in its recent report said it expected households to go further in debt each year between now and 2015.

Now, my recollection of the ConDem Government’s justification for the current “age of austerity” is that we (as a country) can’t afford to borrow “beyond our means”. As a result we are having a huge squeeze on our public finances, with huge job losses, savage cuts to our essential public services and a cull of local businesses faced with customers who cannot afford to shop.

So, it seems the Government’s plan to get us out of this crisis is to transfer the debt from the state to households up and down the land. I don’t think that this part of the ConDem Government’s plan to get us out of this crisis has received the publicity it deserves – naturally it’s something you would want to hide, not advertise.

If you feel, like Robin Hood, that the poor should not be expected to solve the present crisis by going into more and more debt then join our group ‘Bassetlaw Protecting our People and Services’ which is being set up to campaign against the savage cuts to our services and standards of living.

We will be meeting at 7.00 pm on Thursday 12th May, at The Christchurch, 15 Thievesdale Close, Worksop, S81 OXS. You will be very welcome.

Yours faithfully

Ann Donlan
Chair
Bassetlaw Protecting our People and Services”

Meet Notts SOS activists on Nottingham’s “Mayday 2011” – Saturday April 30th

Meeting some of the many people involved with Notts Save Our Services and getting involved with anti-cuts activity in Nottingham and Notts couldn’t be easier. Just come down to the Mayday International Workers’ Day event in Victoria Park, Sneinton on Saturday 30th April. Download flyer here or view below. Assemble in Victoria Park, Bath Street, near the Victoria Leisure Centre at 11 am. The march will leave the Park at 12 for Speaker’s Corner (Clough statue). Then we return to Victoria Park for music, stalls, speakers, BEER TENT and much more – staying there until mid-afternoon.

Mayday is a celebration of the struggle for change which workers are engaged in all over the world. The courage shown by the peoples of Tunisia and Egypt in removing vicious, money-grubbing dictators is truly uplifting. In taking to the streets and banding together to defend their homes against Mubarak’s hired looters, the Egyptian people have tasted freedom after 1000s of years of autocratic rule. In paying tribute to the young people who turned out in force to protect the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, its director called for “a vision where a people’s greatness is measured by the quality of the lives of their poorest citizens not by the size of their armies or the scale of their buildings.” While we watch Egypt hopefully in the coming months, we can all think of other countries run by a load of millionaire toffs, helped out by an unaccountable, sometimes thuggish, police force. Sound familiar? While Barclays announce colossal profits, old people are facing having to pay for their care. How does the UK treat its poorest citizens? JOIN IN THE FIGHT BACK.

Administrate This! Report from University of Nottingham protest and camp on 19th April 2011

From 18th-20th April, the University of Nottingham hosted a meeting of the Association of University Administrators. Minister for Universities David Willetts was to attend, but had dropped out in advance. Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts organised a protest and camp ‘Administrate This!’ to highlight the issues of the ‘marketisation’ of education and university participation, and especially about how women will be hit by the cuts. Full story: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1141. See also NSAFC website: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/

Save Our NHS public meeting finalised – Nottingham Mechanics Thursday 21st April 2011

Recent weeks have seen a surge of local activity in defence of the NHS. Cutbacks will hit the health service and the proposed “reforms” of the NHS will lead to widespread privatisation. Speakers have been invited to explain the issues and why the Bill must be opposed. Do come along.

Upcoming public event: Save our NHS: Kill the Bill, April 21st, 7pm-9pm, The Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham NG1 4EZ. Details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/1067

List of speakers for the Save Our NHS meeting at Nottingham Mechanics on 21st April 2011

Save Hayward House Daycare in Nottingham – campaign and website

Hayward House ‘hospice within the hospital’ at City Hospital, Nottingham cares for terminally ill patients. Its methods encompass compassion, dignity, and clinical expertise in palliative medicine. Its approach integrates medical, social, personal, emotional and community care in a way unique in Nottinghamshire. This has brought quality of life back to the last months and days of many patients. Nottingham PCT are closing daycare from September 1st 2011 – we cannot let them.

Visit the website: http://www.savehaywarddaycare.org.uk for more information and how to get involved.

On Wednesday, April 20th, 8.00am News on BBC Radio Nottingham plus news bulletins throughout the day will feature the proposed closure of HH daycare. Also watch BBC East Midlands News at breakfast, lunchtime and early evening. Also, look at the Evening Post on (we think) Thursday, 21st April.

On Saturday April 30th, Save Hayward House Daycare Campaign will be having a stall at the Mayday celebrations. Assemble in Victoria Park, Bath Street, near the Victoria Leisure Centre at 11 am. The march will leave the Park at 12 noon; why not join us? Bring your Save Hayward House Daycare placard! There will be speakers at Speakers’ Corner near the statue of Brian, then back to the park for music, food, more speakers, more food etc, etc.

Nottingham anti-cuts diary dates in April 2011 – more added so keep looking for updates!

Here are anti-cuts events coming up. Also take a look on the right for more details of Forthcoming Events, Comments and Twitter feed columns for more info, reports and comments. Join Notts SOS Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/NottsSOS-FB

As you will see a big feature of this month’s activities is opposition to NHS ‘reform’ AKA privatisation.

Anti-cuts diary dates in April 2011

Friday 1st April Unison demonstration ‘Stand up for the NHS’ at Standard Court PCT offices. Report now out: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1085. Held as part of the ‘All Together for the NHS Day’.

Saturday 9th April Notts Uncut have planned another action in Notttingham city centre, meeting outside Miss Selfridge on Clumber St at 10.45 am for a 11.00 am start. Target to be announced on the day. The theme is NHS reforms so bring any placards etc relating to the Health and Social Care bill and if you can bring any hospital type props (gowns, scrubs, crutches, bandages etc) that would be fantastic. Please see info about this local action on UK Uncut website and the facebook event page. There is also now a Notts Uncut website at http://www.nottsuncut.webeden.co.uk and a newsletter, No.1 April 2011: [Word version] [PDF version]

Monday 11th April Fortnightly Notts SOS planning meeting, at the YMCA International Community Centre, Mansfield Road from 7.30 pm until 9 pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 13th April Nottingham and Mansfield Trades Council organised public debate between Jon Collins, County Councillor Alan Rhodes, and a Trade Union official at The Djanogly Lecture Theatre, Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare Street off Clarendon Road, starts 7.30 pm.

Thursday 14th April 3rd National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts. UK wide. Local action to be confirmed. Also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164277070288955

Tuesday 19th April ADMINISTRATE THIS! TENT CITY AND MARCH AT THE AUA CONFERENCE 19th of April 2011 UNIVERSITY PARK (MAIN) CAMPUS, NOTTINGHAM. Nottingham students are organising a vigourous response to the 18th to 20th Association of University Administrators meeting in Nottingham the future of Higher Education in the UK will be discussed by top managers from all over the country. As the government’s plans to lift the cap on tuition fees to £9000 is exploited by a cartel of administrations to monopolise high-end university education, the minister for universities, David Willetts, keynote speaker at the AUA conference, reassures us that the cuts in funding and the raises in fees will be ‘progressive’. as part of the action there will be a march on the Nottingham University main campus on the 19th and the tent city camp will last 2 days. More details: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/administrate-this-19th-of-april/. Open invitiation to participate. Facebook event page here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176890835695324

Wednesday 20th April Second day of the tent city on Nottingham University main campus during the Association of University Administrators conference. The camp will last from the 19th-20th and hold workshops and discussions with activists and academics on the topics including: Anti-Oppression, Gender and The Cuts, Zombie Universities, Protest Tactics, Strategies, and Direct Action, Capitalism and Beyond. There will also be food, a kids space, music, performance, and art! See above (19th April) for details. Open invitiation to participate.

Thursday 21st April Save Our NHS – Kill the Bill– Notts SOS (health group) are hosting a public meeting about the Health and Social Care Reform Bill in conjunction with Keep Our NHS Public, 38 degrees and HIYE, at The Nottingham Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ. Starts 7.30 pm.

~~Monday 25th~~ Tuesday 26th April Fortnightly Notts SOS planning meeting, at the YMCA International Community Centre, Mansfield Road from 7.30 pm until 9 pm. All welcome. Moved from Monday to Tuesday due to the bank holiday.

Thursday 28th April MayDay Social, Polish Eagle Club, 2 Sherwood Rise, Nottingham NG7 6JN, 7.30 pm to late.

Saturday 30th April Mayday festival and march, Victoria Park, Sneinton, 11 am to 6 pm. March to City Centre and back to the park starts 12 noon.

Advance notice for May: Sunday 22nd May, Green Festival, Arboretum, 12 noon to 6 pm.

University staff picket lines supported by students and many others in Nottingham

Official picket UCU armbands at University of Nottingham during strike day 22nd March 2011 — Strike day 1 at University of Nottingham

Yesterday, 22nd March 2011, was the first day of strike action by members of the University and College Union in England including lecturers, researchers, admin and library staff from 47 universities taking strike action in defence of their USS pension scheme. Strikes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland took place last Thursday & Friday, and yesterday.

Picket lines were formed at all entrances of the University of Nottingham. A joint staff/student campaign leaflet was handed out (Download student side of leaflet. UCU staff side of leaflet) as well as information about the effects of the proposed changes to the pensions scheme that would see new staff (and those with a gap in employment or extended leave) being put on to a much worse scheme, plus increases in employee contributions for everyone with little evidence that this is needed. The threat of action and offer of negotiations by UCU has already seen the gap increased to 30 months from 6 months plus there is now an indefinite delay in implementation. Many people in vehicles passing the entrances honked their horns in support including both City and County Council workers, Post Office workers, bus drivers, taxi drivers and many people in vans of private companies and cars. Security staff at entrances were supportive. The student support was particularly excellent, with groups from Nottingham Students Against Cuts and Fees present at the picket lines and saying on their website,

WE, NOTTINGHAM STUDENTS AGAINST FEES & CUTS, EXPRESS OUR STAUNCH SUPPORT FOR AND SOLIDARITY WITH THE UCU of Nottingham University / NTU and the UCU groups on strike nationwide. We stand with staff members in their attempt to defend their pension schemes from the cuts that are being imposed and which will have a drastic detrimental effect on the education sector and thus society as a whole. These cuts affect our community, students and staff alike, as they threaten not only jobs but educational establishments, irreparably damaging the overall value and quality of education. Read more: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/notts-students-support-ucu-strike/

Today, Wednesday 23rd, NSAFC will hold a ‘Teach-out’ with tents outside Hallward Library on the University of Nottiongam main campus from 12 noon and all afternoon to highlight the campaign against marketisation of education, cuts to teaching budgets and to support the UCU strikes. Notts TUC are holding a Budget Day protest against all cuts from 5-7pm in the Old Market Square, Nottingham.

On Thursday 24th there will be a UK-wide strike day involving both University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University and Further Education colleges. Picket lines will be formed in the morning and there will be a rally in defence of education in the Old Market Square , Nottingham from 11am at least until 2pm. All welcome. Details here: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/03/16/university-and-college-strikes-next-week-including-nottingham-city-centre-demo-on-24th-march-2011/. Then at 3.30pm will be the ESOL day of action against cuts to English for Speakers of Other Languages – this open air meeting will also take place in the Old Market Square. Download flyer: ESOL Day of Action flyer 24 March 2011. Help us show the importance of English classes.

The campaign is growing and this is becoming more than solidarity. The struggle of students against huge fees rises and cuts to support like ESA is identified with the cuts agenda and the general attack on wages and conditions in education work places. There are a number of unions in universities and colleges such as Unison and UNITE and hopefully the struggle can be broadened in the coming months. The Notts SOS campaigns aims to link up service users and community campaigns as well as workplaces, schools and colleges. The UCU is taking 3 coaches from Nottingham to London for the ‘March for the Alternative’ on Saturday 26th as are many other unions.

Press cutting with photograph in evening post of one UCU picket line taken on 22nd March — Press cutting with photograph of one UCU picket line at University of Nottingham