DEFEND THE NHS – DEFEAT LANSLEY’S BILL
Organised by Keep Our NHS Public and Coalition of Resistance
Wednesday 16th February, 7,30pm,
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, WC1, Holborn tube
Introduction: Fred Leplat (Coalition of Resistance)and John Lister, Health Emergency
Dr Jacky Davis
Wendy Savage, Keep Our NHS Public
Teresa Delaney, Coalition of Resistance
Dot Cotton, National Pensioners Convention
Questions and discussions (1)
Questions and discussions (2)
Saturday, 19 February 2011
Friday, 18 February 2011
BMA London vote against the health bill
Exclusive: The momentum in favour of a vote of outright opposition against the Government NHS reforms gathered pace last night after a fractious meeting called by BMA London voted to stop the health bill in its tracks.
An overwhelming majority of the estimated 250 people at the meeting backed a motion calling for the BMA to scrap its policy of critical engagement and instead introduce a policy of total opposition to the bill.
Up to 100 protestors carried out a noisy demonstration against the reforms outside the regional meeting and inside the hall at BMA House, health minister Simon Burns faced catcalls from some of the audience and saw the Government’s plans come under fire from BMA leader, Dr Hamish Meldrum.
The BMA London move is the latest in a series of motions by BMA divisions and council members calling for a policy change, which looks set to be debated at a BMA Special Representative Meeting next month.
Dr Meldrum, who has come under increasing pressure to drop the BMA’s engagement policy, set out the association's strong objections to the bill at the meeting, especially plans to ramp up competition from the private sector.
Also speaking at the meeting, shadow health minister Diane Abbott attacked the Government’s plans and afterwards declared the meeting was a sign of ‘all-out opposition to Tory health reforms.’
Mr Burns faced a string of questions from angry members of the audience, who demanded to know why the Government had not trialed its plans and also why many of the key elements of the health bill were not included in the coalition’s manifesto.
Outside the meeting, Dr Ron Singer, president of the Medical Practitioners’ Union and one of its GPC members, explained why they were protesting.
‘We think the changes proposed in the bill are so massive that nothing but outright opposition to, so that it never sees the light of day, it is the only course. A lot of people turning up tonight will tell the London division of the BMA that they must take a stronger line.
‘What is being offered to GPs – to run the NHS and have control over the budget – is just simply not true.’
acknowledgements to Andy Hewett
An overwhelming majority of the estimated 250 people at the meeting backed a motion calling for the BMA to scrap its policy of critical engagement and instead introduce a policy of total opposition to the bill.
Up to 100 protestors carried out a noisy demonstration against the reforms outside the regional meeting and inside the hall at BMA House, health minister Simon Burns faced catcalls from some of the audience and saw the Government’s plans come under fire from BMA leader, Dr Hamish Meldrum.
The BMA London move is the latest in a series of motions by BMA divisions and council members calling for a policy change, which looks set to be debated at a BMA Special Representative Meeting next month.
Dr Meldrum, who has come under increasing pressure to drop the BMA’s engagement policy, set out the association's strong objections to the bill at the meeting, especially plans to ramp up competition from the private sector.
Also speaking at the meeting, shadow health minister Diane Abbott attacked the Government’s plans and afterwards declared the meeting was a sign of ‘all-out opposition to Tory health reforms.’
Mr Burns faced a string of questions from angry members of the audience, who demanded to know why the Government had not trialed its plans and also why many of the key elements of the health bill were not included in the coalition’s manifesto.
Outside the meeting, Dr Ron Singer, president of the Medical Practitioners’ Union and one of its GPC members, explained why they were protesting.
‘We think the changes proposed in the bill are so massive that nothing but outright opposition to, so that it never sees the light of day, it is the only course. A lot of people turning up tonight will tell the London division of the BMA that they must take a stronger line.
‘What is being offered to GPs – to run the NHS and have control over the budget – is just simply not true.’
acknowledgements to Andy Hewett
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
DEFEND THE NHS – DEFEAT LANSLEY’S BILL
DEFEND THE NHS – DEFEAT LANSLEY’S BILL
Organised by Keep Our NHS Public and Coalition of Resistance
Wednesday 16th February, 7,30pm,
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, WC1, Holborn tube
Speakers:
Dr Jacky Davis
Frank Dobson MP
Wendy Savage, Keep Our NHS Public
John Lister, Health Emergency
Teresa Delaney, Coalition of Resistance
Dot Gibson, National Pensioners Convention
Meeting organised by Coalition of Resistance and Keep Our NHS Public
TEN REASONS TO OPPOSE THE NHS BILL
1. Andrew Lansley’s Health and Social Care Bill will encourage “any willing provider” to cherry pick profitable slices of NHS services. It’s the biggest-ever privatisation of health care anywhere in the world,
2. The Bill will turn the NHS into a free market, cost billions to implement, and be far more unequal in its provision of services than the current system.
3. GP consortia, with their budgets squeezed to create £20 billion of savings will have to restrict access to hospital care.
4. GP consortia will have to employ private management consultants, who are the only people to have welcomed Lansley’s plans.
5. Patients will be even less informed as existing public bodies are replaced by local GP consortia, that function in secret sessions, and a remote national NHS Commissioning Board.
6. Health care services are to be privatised, with EU competition laws forcing GPs to put any service out to tender.
7. All limits on the money Foundation Trusts hospitals can earn from private medicine are to be scrapped. Hospitals will then prioritise attracting wealthy private patients
8. Price competition is to be introduced in clinical services, despite warnings that this will undermine the quality of care.
9. The limited “scrutiny” proposals are a fraud: GP consortia and the Commissioning Board will take their decisions in secret, and are not even obliged to go through the motions of consultation.
10. The Bill is opposed by the health unions and the TUC, the majority of GPs, and virtually every organisation of health professionals, including the Royal College of GPs and the BMA.
That’s why Lansley must be stopped. It’s time for urgent political action to Kill Lansley’s Bill.
Organised by Keep Our NHS Public and Coalition of Resistance
Wednesday 16th February, 7,30pm,
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, WC1, Holborn tube
Speakers:
Dr Jacky Davis
Frank Dobson MP
Wendy Savage, Keep Our NHS Public
John Lister, Health Emergency
Teresa Delaney, Coalition of Resistance
Dot Gibson, National Pensioners Convention
Meeting organised by Coalition of Resistance and Keep Our NHS Public
TEN REASONS TO OPPOSE THE NHS BILL
1. Andrew Lansley’s Health and Social Care Bill will encourage “any willing provider” to cherry pick profitable slices of NHS services. It’s the biggest-ever privatisation of health care anywhere in the world,
2. The Bill will turn the NHS into a free market, cost billions to implement, and be far more unequal in its provision of services than the current system.
3. GP consortia, with their budgets squeezed to create £20 billion of savings will have to restrict access to hospital care.
4. GP consortia will have to employ private management consultants, who are the only people to have welcomed Lansley’s plans.
5. Patients will be even less informed as existing public bodies are replaced by local GP consortia, that function in secret sessions, and a remote national NHS Commissioning Board.
6. Health care services are to be privatised, with EU competition laws forcing GPs to put any service out to tender.
7. All limits on the money Foundation Trusts hospitals can earn from private medicine are to be scrapped. Hospitals will then prioritise attracting wealthy private patients
8. Price competition is to be introduced in clinical services, despite warnings that this will undermine the quality of care.
9. The limited “scrutiny” proposals are a fraud: GP consortia and the Commissioning Board will take their decisions in secret, and are not even obliged to go through the motions of consultation.
10. The Bill is opposed by the health unions and the TUC, the majority of GPs, and virtually every organisation of health professionals, including the Royal College of GPs and the BMA.
That’s why Lansley must be stopped. It’s time for urgent political action to Kill Lansley’s Bill.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
UNISON United Left (UUL)
Message from Sue Tibbles
Thought you might like to see that UNISON United Left (UUL) has had a re-launch of its website.
http://unisonunitedleft.blogspot.com/
I am a member of UUL and was hoping to promote any public GL meetings we might be holding at the same time as UNISON National Delegate Conference in Manchester in June.
Thought you might like to see that UNISON United Left (UUL) has had a re-launch of its website.
http://unisonunitedleft.blogspot.com/
I am a member of UUL and was hoping to promote any public GL meetings we might be holding at the same time as UNISON National Delegate Conference in Manchester in June.
Saturday, 12 February 2011
BRENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Meeting 10/2/2011: Trade Unionists and Climate Change
BRENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Meeting 10/2/2011: Trade Unionists and Climate Change
Introduction by Pete Firmin (CWU,Brent TUC) & John Stewart (Campaign Against Climate Change)
Nick Grant (NUT)
Questions and discussion (1)
Sarah Pearce (TUC Green Workplaces Project)(1)
Sarah Pearce (TUC Green Workplaces Project)(2)
Questions and discussion (2)
Speakers' closing remarks
Introduction by Pete Firmin (CWU,Brent TUC) & John Stewart (Campaign Against Climate Change)
Nick Grant (NUT)
Questions and discussion (1)
Sarah Pearce (TUC Green Workplaces Project)(1)
Sarah Pearce (TUC Green Workplaces Project)(2)
Questions and discussion (2)
Speakers' closing remarks
Friday, 11 February 2011
ACCESS TO ADVICE: MEETING AGAINST THE CUTS IN ADVICE SERVICES IN MANCHESTER
Friends Meeting House Booked Wed 16th Feb - 5.45 pm till (not too )late - Room 1 Mount St - behind Central Library
Anyone with concerns about the Advice Services is Welcome. Hope you can make it!
Did you know Manchester City Council have announced they will completely close Manchester Advice in the next few months-they cynically try and say that the voluntary sector advice services can pick up the slack -no way. > We still have to send people to Manchester Advice when we are too busy -plus the council cut almost £half million off our funding for the current year.
We need to let councillors know we want them to vote against the closure WE also want to let the public know about this and get them to lobby their councillors before the decision is made on 9th March
We also need to get MPs, councillors and the public to oppose the government's plan to scrap legal aid for welfare, debt, housing, consumer etc from next year
We have got together letters to councilors and MPs, leaflets, stickers, plans to involve the public -come along to the meeting to learn more about what going on and what you can do to save advice in Manchester
In advance please write to Richard Leese, Council Leader and you local councillors c/o Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, MANCHESTER M60 2LA
If time also write to your MP at House of Commons London SW1 0AA
Anyone with concerns about the Advice Services is Welcome. Hope you can make it!
Did you know Manchester City Council have announced they will completely close Manchester Advice in the next few months-they cynically try and say that the voluntary sector advice services can pick up the slack -no way. > We still have to send people to Manchester Advice when we are too busy -plus the council cut almost £half million off our funding for the current year.
We need to let councillors know we want them to vote against the closure WE also want to let the public know about this and get them to lobby their councillors before the decision is made on 9th March
We also need to get MPs, councillors and the public to oppose the government's plan to scrap legal aid for welfare, debt, housing, consumer etc from next year
We have got together letters to councilors and MPs, leaflets, stickers, plans to involve the public -come along to the meeting to learn more about what going on and what you can do to save advice in Manchester
In advance please write to Richard Leese, Council Leader and you local councillors c/o Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, MANCHESTER M60 2LA
If time also write to your MP at House of Commons London SW1 0AA
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Coalition Of Resistance events 12-19 feb
Week of Resistance | 12th February – 19th February
To build for the March 26th protest CoR has called a Week of Resistance.
The following events are planned:
• Saturday 12th February Right to Work People’s Conference
• Sunday 13th February Capitalism: A love story by Michael Moore. London Socialist Film Co-op 10.30 am the Renoir with discussion led by Tony Benn
• Monday 14th February Stop the Valentines Day Massacre of our Public Services. Downing Street 5pm-7pm with Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Steve Hart Unite – sponsored by SERTUC and Unite [ London and Eastern Region]. Download flyer
• Tuesday 15th February Mass Lobby of Parliament Tell MPs: Hands off our homes, our benefits and our rights. Rally in Central Hall Westminster and mass lobby of Parliament. 12-4pm. Called by Defend Council Housing.
• Wednesday 16th February COR Public Meeting Goldsmiths College with Caroline Lucas MP, Tariq Ali and Clare Solomon
• Wednesday 16th February COR Public Meeting with Keep Our NHS Public Conway Hall WC1 with Dr Jacky Davis, Wendy Savage and John Lister. More info.
• Saturday 19th February Mass leafleting for March 26th demonstration – stalls throughout the country.
• Saturday 19th February Visit George Osborne at home – a cross between ‘a place in the sun’ and ‘location, location, location’.
To build for the March 26th protest CoR has called a Week of Resistance.
The following events are planned:
• Saturday 12th February Right to Work People’s Conference
• Sunday 13th February Capitalism: A love story by Michael Moore. London Socialist Film Co-op 10.30 am the Renoir with discussion led by Tony Benn
• Monday 14th February Stop the Valentines Day Massacre of our Public Services. Downing Street 5pm-7pm with Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Steve Hart Unite – sponsored by SERTUC and Unite [ London and Eastern Region]. Download flyer
• Tuesday 15th February Mass Lobby of Parliament Tell MPs: Hands off our homes, our benefits and our rights. Rally in Central Hall Westminster and mass lobby of Parliament. 12-4pm. Called by Defend Council Housing.
• Wednesday 16th February COR Public Meeting Goldsmiths College with Caroline Lucas MP, Tariq Ali and Clare Solomon
• Wednesday 16th February COR Public Meeting with Keep Our NHS Public Conway Hall WC1 with Dr Jacky Davis, Wendy Savage and John Lister. More info.
• Saturday 19th February Mass leafleting for March 26th demonstration – stalls throughout the country.
• Saturday 19th February Visit George Osborne at home – a cross between ‘a place in the sun’ and ‘location, location, location’.
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