Newsletter – November 2016

Jeremy Corbyn joins KONP!

The Labour leader signed up after speaking at a very successful KONP meeting at Islington Town Hall, London.

100 people were in attendance at Islington Town Hall on the 15th November to discuss the North Central London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) and the threat it contains to community services and potentially The Whittington Hospital. MP for Islington South and Finsbury Emily Thornberry spoke at the meeting as did MP for Islington North and leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn. Here is Prof Sue Richards of Islington KONP in the Islington Gazette.

Health Campaigns Together

The 4th issue of HCT's newspaper is now available for purchase, please visit their website or keepournhspublic.com to purchase online or download for free. These can be sent to you and we also have some available to pick up from our London offices.

HCT have organised a national demonstration calling for a fully funded NHS and opposing privatisation and the threat contained in STPs. It will take place on the 4th March 2017 in London. Unite has been the first major trade union to respond positively to the demonstration and other unions are due to discuss it later this month. Please come and join us on the 4th March to stand up for Our NHS.

News about Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs)

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has announced plans for legal action against the NW London STP which aims to first close Ealing hospital then close Charing Cross, demolish it and sell off the land. They and Ealing Council are the first to refuse to sign off the STP, a wonderful move that we hope can be replicated across the UK.

The council held a very successful public meeting at Hammersmith town hall of over 400 people on 29th November to Save Charing Cross and Ealing Hospitals. Ealing Council will do the same in January. The council leaders praised KONP campaigners in Save Our Hospitals Hammersmith and Charing Cross and Ealing Save our NHS for their efforts.

More good news - on 1st December Liverpool's Health and Wellbeing Board rejected the Cheshire and Merseyside STP. A video of the large rally organised by Merseyside KONP that took place ahead of the meeting in Liverpool's Cunard building can be viewed on YouTube.

To keep up to date with STPs up and down England you can use the STP watch on the HCT website or just come to this site.

News from the KONP London Office

Hello, I am Bri and have replaced Sara for the next 6 months as the national administrator. I am part time and my working days are Mondays and Fridays. Really happy to be on board. The email address to get in contact remains the same ([email protected]) as does the telephone number (0207 2414443 ext: 210) please feel free to get in touch!

We now have some re-designed STP Leaflets ready to order.

Press coverage and media advice

Our Campaigns and Media Officer, Alan Taman, is keen to hear from ANY KONP member over any successes they are having with their local press. Photos are always welcome. He is also happy to advise people on how they can best approach their local press, or on any matter they think might be of interest to the national press. KONP is now attracting regular enquiries from national outlets, but this can only grow if we keep providing material they can use hence continue to be regarded as a “reliable” source. Please, just ask Alan at [email protected] or phone him on 07870 757 309.

BMA press release - 21st November

BMA Council chair Mark Porter released a statement criticising STP's and the government's underfunding of the NHS. This is a crucial acknowledgement of the damage that STPs are having on the NHS. A list of the BMA's demands to the government can be found on their website. Their analysis has shown that the government will have to deliver £22bn in cuts by 2020/2021 in order to balance health and social care spending across 44 ‘footprint’ areas.

Thanks to this statement the drastic implications of STP's on the future of the NHS was finally picked up by the mainstream media, including The Guardian, The Telegraph, ITV News and The Daily Mirror.

The real cost of living

Dr Amar Mashru, one of the Justice4Health group who took Jeremy Hunt to judicial review over the junior doctor contract and industrial dispute, has made a helpful YouTube video about the deliberate de-funding of the NHS.

New barrier to NHS patients

As outlined in this article by the BBC, there is a new threat that proof of ID may now be required for non-elective care with some trusts asking for two forms of ID before treating patients. KONP condemns this as dangerous and discriminatory.