The following stories were selected from those sent as daily alerts under the search term ‘NHS’, and ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ from the Google alerts service. Please send any comments to Alan: mailto:[email protected]
25 August
Labour must act now to save our NHS
Morning Star. Quotes John Lister. Direct quote from press release sent out previous day.
[26 more stories]
Privatisation draining NHS
Report on Corbyn’s speech. Independent:
Corbyn’s vision will rescue NHS
Diane Abbott’s opinion piece in the Guardian:
NHS needs EU employees to avoid collapse
Guardian report on think-tank’s research:
NHS ‘still in precarious position despite upturn in finances’
BBC News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37179563
26 August
NHS cuts planned across England
BBC and the Guardian led on this story, following 38Degrees’ research on STPs. KONP was consulted by one of the Guardian journalists as the story was being written and we provided information and quotes, but we were not told of 38Degrees’ involvement or their document (this is standard journalistic practice). Despite showing some weaknesses in its argument later, this created a wave of press attention which we were able to use to get our own points across. We subsequently achieved coverage on the BBC News Channel and BBC London.
BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37186455
Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/26/nhs-plans-radical-cuts-to-fight-growing-deficit-in-health-budget (The Guardian have asked visitors online to let them know of any further STPs in their area: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/26/what-do-you-know-about-planned-nhs-cuts )
Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/25/glut-of-nhs-closures-ahead-warn-hospital-chiefs/
Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nhs-suffer-glut-closures-including-8707247
Follow-up story, on local community reaction, Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/26/the-nhs-secret-is-out-local-communities-wont-like-it
Local follow-up, Wigan: http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/fears-over-plans-to-cut-nhs-services-1-8091363
Hertfordshire: http://www.bobfm.co.uk/news/local-news/financial-black-hole-for-nhs-in-hertfordshire-and-west-essex-projected-at-234-million-by-2019/
Jeremy Corbyn’s policies give me hope
Junior doctors’ BMA rep. Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/yannis-gourtsoyannis/junior-doctor-nhs-cuts_b_11718398.html
People power is needed to save the NHS
Opinion piece from 38Degrees’ head calling for a re-working of democracy. Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/26/nhs-38-degrees-government-plans
Jeremy Hunt cannot bully his 7 day plans through
Opinion piece by Richard Vize. Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2016/aug/26/jeremy-hunt-can-not-bully-his-plans-for-a-seven-day-nhs-through
38Degrees’ research: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2016/08/26/38-degrees-crowdfunded-investigation-secret-nhs-plans/
…and NHS England’s response to all the attention:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/08/stp-statement/
28 August
KONP President Wendy Savage’s letter in the Guardian on NHS funding (lack of)
NHS spends ‘£125 million’ on obesity surgery
The most explicit example of ‘the undeserving sick’ trend to date, upholding the sinister agenda of blame emerging nationally. Linked with cuts and the move to go to private insurance? Clue’s in the sub-head: ‘Forget the nanny state’ – almost the truth. Just drop the adjective. The Sun:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1686202/the-sun-says-nhs-pays-out-125m-for-obesity-operations/
Scandal of private ambulance bill doe to paramedic shortage
Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/scandal-6million-private-ambulance-bill-8718048
New tax needed to fund NHS
Dan Poulter’s suggestion for using increased NI. Welcome back from neoliberal dogma, Dan!
BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37208695
Also reported locally. East Anglian Times: http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/former_health_minister_calls_for_grown_up_debate_on_nhs_funding_1_4675261
Diane Abbott slams under-funding
Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/diane-abbott-slams-nhs-underfunding-8723347
29 August
Berkshire patients could be hit by STPs (local)
Follow-on from national story. Get Reading:
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/berkshire-patients-could-hit-nhs-11806959
Is a ring-fenced tax the best remedy?
Opinion piece. Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/29/nhs-ringfenced-tax-remedy
31 August
Greenwich health service to be taken over by private company (local)
Includes quote from Greenwich KONP’s Francis Hook. Well done, Francis. News Shopper:
TISA, new privatisation pact that is a threat
This service is provided as a guide to the main stories, but you can get alerts sent about health stories yourself every day.
This is done through Google news and Google alerts: free services anyone can set up. To find out how to do this, go to the Steering Group, News & Events section on the KONP website (https://keepournhspublic.com/support-konp/steering-group-page/news-events/ ) and look for the “starter set of instructions”.
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