NHS – Notts Save Our Services

People’s March for the NHS – in Nottingham again on Saturday March 28th, 2015

People’s March for the NHS will visit Nottingham again on Saturday March 28th. The start time is 11am at The Forest Recreation Ground, Gregory Boulevard, NG7 6HB Nottingham. A march will then leave Forest Recreation Ground to Speaker’s Corner (next to Brian Clough statue, Market Square Nottingham) for a rally at 12.30pm. The march is organised by ‘People’s Vote for the NHS’ which is aiming to get Labour back in power to ‘save’ the NHS.
See also event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/936262406398523/

Analysis on the NHS policy of the main parties can be examined here:
http://election.kingsfund.org.uk/

A socialist left viewpoint on ‘are Labour and Tories the same’ with an eye on elections is here: http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/01/labour-and-tories-aren-t-same-so-why-do-voters-still-think-they-are

One personal viewpoint on Labour’s NHS record local to Nottingham can be found here in the Notts SOS blog from October 16, 2010: https://nottssos.org.uk/2010/10/16/get-involved-with-notts-sos-%E2%80%93-appeal-from-a-nottingham-city-nhs-worker/

Another view on the cuts and NHS with local relevance, this time from the Anarchist Federation, Nottingham local group, is the anti-cuts leaflet, published shortly after the last General Election, to be found here [PDF leaflet] http://www.afed.org.uk/nottingham/af_anti_cuts_leaflet_sept_2010.pdf

Nottingham & Notts Branch of Keep Our NHS Public – Letter to GPs and Press Release

Update from Nottm & Notts KONP 10th January 2011: Please find attached a press release from Notts-KONP that has been sent at very short notice to the Nottingham Post – it is based on one issued by the NHS consultants association and supplied by the KONP office. PRESS RELEASE from Notts-KONP 10 Jan 2012 [PDF version] or [Word version]. The stall on Saturday was very successful – see the photographs at Notts Indymedia. Remember to check Bevan’s Run blog every now and then – today has the terrific speech which started the run off this merry morn; down the left hand side up to the minute tweets from Clive P. http://bevansrun.blogspot.com/

Here is a message and standard letter from the recently relaunched Nottingham & Notts Branch of Keep Our NHS Service Public.

LETTER TO GENERAL PRACTITIONERS

The more pressure that is put on personnel involved in changes in the National Health Service the more likely it is that we can obstruct the Government’s privatization plan. Please find below a model letter for patients who are concerned about the Government’s proposed changes to the NHS. We urge you to post or email this letter to the doctors at the general practice at which you are registered. You may wish to alter the text to express your particular concerns. Also please forward this letter on to other people who may wish to use it. It would be useful if you would inform KONP of any responses you receive.

Nottingham and Notts Branch of Keep Our NHS Public

Contact: info@notts-konp.org.uk

* * *

Dear Dr./Drs. … .

I am very concerned about the changes to Primary Health Care that the Government is trying to bring about by means of its Health and Social Care Bill.

The Government intends that the provision of much health care will be brought about by means of Clinical Commissioning Groups purchasing appropriate services. We have been led to believe that it will be general practitioners in CCG’s who will actively choose the suppliers of services. However, close scrutiny of the proposed legislation reveals that most GP’s will not be deemed to be suitably qualified and experienced to make such decisions. In practice it will be representatives of private health care companies who will effectively decide how the money will be spent. As you are probably aware, the British Medical Association has expressed serious concerns about this and other aspects of the proposed changes to the NHS.

In general it seems to me that the Government’s proposed changes to the NHS do not have the aim of creating a more effective health care service. Rather the real aim is to provide opportunities for private companies to make profits. Such a change could well result in a decline in standards of health care. There is some very useful briefing information on the website of Allyson Pollock – http://allysonpollock.co.uk and more campaign information on www.keepournhspublic.com

As one of your patients I would like to know what are your views on the Government’s plans for change in the NHS. I suggest a discussion of these matters at the next meeting of your patient participations group.

Yours sincerely,

(Signature)

Anti-cuts events week beginning Monday 24th Jan 2011 [plus Video ‘The Rise of Street Extremism | 10.01.11’]

Anti-cuts events: January 24th-30th 2011. Follow links for details. Plenty to get involved with.
Update: find out about further meetings and events here: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/action-24th-jan-to-5th-feb/

Monday 24th Jan: Second National Day of Action Against Benefit Cuts. All day. Action in Nottingham – see http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/action-24th-jan-to-5th-feb/

Monday 24th Jan: NCVS meeting impact of cuts on voluntary and community groups, 2-4pm at YMCA/ICC, Nottingham.

Monday 24th Jan: Notts SOS meeting 7.30pm at YMCA/ICC, Nottingham. Our regular meeting. All welcome.

Tuesday 25th Jan – Mansfield SOS meeting, 7.15pm, at the Gas Board Sports and Social Club, Lime Tree Place, Mansfield.

Wednesday 26th Jan: UCU Open Forum, Nottingham Uni, Portland Building C11, 1pm-3pm.

Wednesday 26th Jan: Stand Up For the NHS, 7:30pm at Mechanics Institute, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham.

Wednesday 26th Jan: National walkout to save EMA (Facebook). Download College students flyer about EMA produced at Network X

Thursday 27th Jan: Save Sherwood Forest meeting 7.30pm at YMCA/ICC, Nottingham.

Saturday 29th Jan: Education no-fees/cuts demo in London. Called by Education Activist Network, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and University College Union (UCU). Coaches leave Nottingham Trent SU at 8:30am, Nottingham Uni (Portland Building) at 9am. Tickets are £7 concession, £15 waged and must be bought in advance. To book text/call 07849 392 842. Download flyer: https://nottssos.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/national-demo-fees-cuts-29-jan-2011.pdf. There is also a demo in Manchester on the same day which UCU and PCS are also supporting – there are coaches – contact respective unions. Nottingham Students now have tickets to Manchester as well. So take your pick. Email nsafac [at] gmail.com for tickets both events.

Sunday 30th Jan: Nottingham UK Uncut event 1pm Clumber Street.

Video extra: Think tank Policy Exchange worries about ‘domestic extremism’, including anti-cuts campaigns (and websites!). Apparently it’s unfairness that makes ‘the British people’ rise up and this must be addressed by the government before it’s hijacked by the Left and anarchists. It’s a long video with a range of experts, who are mostly ex-police – maybe they are getting a bit worried? They are certainly saying the state should be getting more prepared. See/listen around 3 mins in about those terrible UKUncut flash mobs that have been used to close stores (see also near end of the video a suggestion that it’s time their website be brought down – how democratic!). Then 7 mins in – an infiltrator of CND talks about the general problem of anti-parliamentary groups. Various stuff about kettling and other public order tactics and the terrible constraints of the Human Rights Act. And a suggestion that a royal wedding protest with anti-cuts flavour could be a problem. Enjoy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3sc_prqw_s]

PolicyExchangeUK | 11 January 2011 | 0 likes, 42 dislikes
There are increasing signs that significant sections of the extreme left have little intention of confining their opposition to Coalition policies to peaceful, democratic protest. In recent weeks we have seen riots over student tuition fees, the forcible closure of high street stores by flashmobs and also growing demands for industrial action to undermine the Coalition administration, including from the leader of Britain’s biggest trade union.
Do these actions portend a dangerous new trend towards the use of physical force? If so, what can and should be done to prevent this phenomenon becoming a regular feature of the national landscape?

Speakers:
Peter Clarke CVO OBE QPM | former Head of the Counter Terrorism Command and former Borough Commander in Brixton during the 1995 riots
Rt Hon David Maclean | former Minister of State at the Home Office and Parliamentary Adviser to the Police Superintendents Association
Paul Mercer | UK’s pre-eminent expert on extremist groups and author, Longman’s Directory of British Political Organisations [who also likes to spy for arms dealers it would appear.]
Henry Robinson | Anti Terrorist community and street activist and former Irish republican prisoner

Get involved with Notts SOS – appeal from a Nottingham City NHS worker

A Nottingham NHS worker speaks frankly about his, his workmates’, and his family and friends’ situations under the continuing threat of cuts that will no doubt be familiar to many others, and urges everyone to get involved with Notts SOS.

I work in one of the support services within the Nottingham NHS Citihealth organisation. We provide community health services to the Nottingham area. We have heard the current government promise to ring fence frontline health spending, however the reality on the ground is somewhat different. Continue reading “Get involved with Notts SOS – appeal from a Nottingham City NHS worker”

What cuts are we opposing?

Things will become a lot clearer when the Con-Dem coalition’s spending review is announced next month. In the meantime, here is a list of mainly local cuts mooted before the General Election (as of Mayday 2010), some already being made. Since May there have been further announcements including the abolishing of some NHS Trusts, Authorities and Organisations over the coming years, plus a additional cut of £4 billion in the welfare budget. Locally we can add Carlton Road to the list of library closures which will probably get ‘merged’ with St Anns. Continue reading “What cuts are we opposing?”