Summary: News of protests as part of the unions “Alltogeth for the NHS” day, BMA concerns and more news of the attack on Lansley’s office.



A few recent news articles concerning the UK’s Conservative and Liberal-Democrat coalition government – the ConDem’s – brutal attack on the National Health Service.

BMA urges Lansley to think-again on reform – News – OnMedica

The BMA says plans to restructure medical education and training and public health services in England are “could damage the NHS beyond repair” and must be reconsidered.

The proposals for public health are outlined in the government’s White Paper, Healthy Lives, Healthy People, and those for education and training are put forward in the White Paper, Liberating the NHS: Developing the Health Care Workforce.

BMA chairman, Dr Hamish Meldrum says: “In these two final consultations related to the Health and Social Care Bill, we find, yet again, that the government is racing towards further fragmentation of the NHS.

“The proposals for public health are causing great anxiety among doctors who believe the plans are flawed and could lead to the NHS losing the skills and expertise of hundreds of highly trained public health doctors. These doctors are responsible for emergency planning such as developing systems during a pandemic flu crisis, developing projects to counteract unhealthy living such as obesity and alcohol misuse, and essential contributions to the commissioning plans for local health services.

Newcastle blood unit may shut in cost cuts – Chronicle News – News – ChronicleLive

LIVES will be in danger if health bosses give go ahead and close Newcastle’s blood testing laboratory, unions claimed today.

NHS Blood and Transplant were informing staff today about the future of the laboratory at the city’s Barrack Road, following talks at a board meeting in London yesterday.

It is the second time in five years cost-cutting has threatened the future of the lab and it has been suggested transferring donor testing to Manchester.

‘For sale’ sign goes up at St Thomas’ Hospital as UNISON attacks NHS reforms [1 April 2011]

The stunt – featuring ‘estate agents’ wearing masks representing prime minister David Cameron, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and health secretary Andrew Lansley – was part of the union’s campaign against the coalition Government’s Health and Social Care Bill.

“Selling off the NHS is no joke – but that’s exactly what’s the Health and Social Care Bill paves the way for,” said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis.

“Even the Tories are waking up to the toxic prescription that the Health and Social Care Bill really is for our NHS.

“Handing over £80 billion to GPs is a reckless gamble. Doctors don’t want it, and it will poison the relationship between patients and their GP.

“Who wants to be sitting across from their doctor wondering if the treatment they are prescribed is what they need, or what the GP can afford to pay for?

NHS Direct Action over Cuts to Health Service – London | Demotix.com

[Many more images at link]

Today a small group of protesters gathered outside the Department of Health in Westminster to highlight their opposition to cut backs and privatisation of the NHS.

The protest was different from all other protests that I have been to, as it was done in the form of a short play, with the vampire Andrew Lansley feeding off death and dying NHS.

A highly original form of protest which was a welcome change from last weeks carnage. The protesters got their message across in a peaceful and highly comical way, finally moving away with NHS written on the floor in fake blood.

They moved across the road to Downing Street and staged a short lay-down protest. The protest was cut short by the arrival of five police cars and two police motorbikes of Diplomatic armed police (two of which had their ID numbers hidden). It seems that peaceful protesters is all our police force can handkle these days. London, UK. 01/04/2011

REVEALED: West Middlesex Hospital to axe 260 jobs including doctors, nurses and admin staff (From This Is Local London)

Debt-ridden West Middlesex Hospital is set to axe more than 260 jobs – including frontline workers – it has emerged.

It is feared the hospital’s plans to make savings of £19.7m over the next two years, and a total of £22m over four years, could put strain on services.

John Lister, information director at campaign group London Health Emergency, said: “They [bosses] say job cuts will mainly be administrative, but if they [administrators] are not there then who will do their job? Will it be dumped on nurses and clinical staff? The question is will scaled down services be able to cope?”

BBC News – Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s office attacked

Graffiti has been daubed on the Cambridgeshire constituency office building of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

The 54-year-old Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire oversees the NHS.

Protesters wrote slogans across the front of the building in Hardwick with red and black paint on Thursday night.

The words “Hands off our NHS” were daubed across the front of the building while a window was also smashed. Police are investigating the incident.

Protesters fighting Government cuts and tuition fees gave Nick Clegg a frosty welcome during his visit to Leicestershire yesterday.

Protesters fighting Government cuts and tuition fees gave Nick Clegg a frosty welcome during his visit to Leicestershire yesterday.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat party leader was in town to encourage supporters ahead of the Leicester South by-election and council elections on May 5.

His visit ended with a question-and-answer session at the Showcase Cinema, in HighcrossLane, where about 100 Capital FM listeners grilled him on everything from electoral reform and taxation to war in Libya and the NHS.

However, it was tuition fees – and Mr Clegg’s decision to go against a party election promise by supporting the increases – which brought out protesters.

Up to 50 demonstrators gathered outside the cinema – singing slogans and waving placards aimed at Mr Clegg.

Health staff in the North East step up protest at NHS reform – Today’s News – News – JournalLive

HEALTH workers in the North East stepped up their protests against the Government’s controversial NHS reforms.

More than 50 campaigners stood defiant outside Sunderland Royal Hospital yesterday in opposition to the Government’s Health and Social Care Bill, which unions belive will lead to increased competition and privatisation of the NHS.

The gathering was included in a series of protests held across the UK as part of The All Together for the NHS campaign, coordinated by the TUC, and health workers also protested at the gates of the Newcastle Blood Centre.

Ann Clay, Unison’s Wearside health branch secretary, said: “I don’t know how we can make these cuts and still provide the services for the people of Sunderland. Frontline staff can’t work without people doing the jobs behind them, we’re a team in the NHS.”

Unions have organised an “Alltogether for the NHS” day today. I get the impression that this involves lobbying MPs – there is a tradition of lobbying MPs at their constituencies on a Friday.

Andrew Lansley’s Cambridgeshire office has been attacked. In an attack, thought to be last night, his Hardwick office was daubed with the slogans “Hands off our NHS” and “Tory Scum” and a window smashed.



A few recent news articles concerning the UK’s Conservative and Liberal-Democrat coalition government – the ConDem’s – brutal attack on the National Health Service.

Pulse – Government to amend NHS reforms as pressure on Lansley grows

Exclusive: The Government has revealed it plans to table a series of amendments to the health bill in the House of Lords, amid growing calls for a rethink from both within and outside the coalition.

The amendments will clarify plans for the role of private providers, include new details on NHS pricing and add additional rules on the transparency and accountability of GP commissioning groups.

Pulse also understands that the Government is considering a possible stay of execution for some PCT clusters beyond April 2013 – although this will not be directly addressed in the legislation.

The amendments to the bill are intended to stave off rebellion among disaffected Liberal Democrats, but Government sources stressed that this did not amount to a fundamental change in direction.

Trades Union Congress – Patients and staff will be the losers of NHS ‘reforms’

Just days after half a million people marched through London on the TUC’s March for the Alternative to protest against government spending cuts and public service ‘reforms’, union members and supporters of the health service will be out in force again today (Friday), in defence of the NHS.

Under the banner All Together for the NHS, unions, professional bodies and other campaigning groups are calling on the government to think again about the huge changes it intends to impose on the health service, as set out in the Health and Social Care Bill.

In towns and cities across the UK today, campaigners will either be visiting MPs in their constituency offices or holding lunchtime protests outside local hospitals to draw attention to the proposals which they believe will force NHS patients to the back of the queue and create a huge postcode lottery of access to treatment, where the poor and vulnerable will be the hardest hit.

Protests over NHS plans – Health – The Star

HEALTH workers in South Yorkshire are supporting a series of protests across the region and country today, fighting against cuts and changes in the NHS.

Demonstrations will be held in Sheffield and Rotherham as part of a national day of action campaigning against the government’s Health and Social Care Bill, which they believe will lead to the privatisation of health services.

They will join with other protesters across the country as they stage demonstrations in London, Nottingham, Bolton, Sunderland and Winchester.

Former health minister Lord Owen claims the radical overhaul of the NHS is “fatally flawed” as pressure mounts on David Cameron to ditch the controversial reform.

Former health minister Lord Owen claims the radical overhaul of the NHS is “fatally flawed” as pressure mounts on David Cameron to ditch the controversial reform.

The former Westcountry MP argues plans to hand GPs up to £100 billion of the health budget and increase private sector involvement risks undermining “vital aspects and principles of the NHS”.

Lord Owen, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) founder, said the reforms would lead to an increase in litigation claims and damage the relationship between doctor and patient.

“There was no mention in either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat party manifestos of an intention to carry forward anything like this revolutionary change,” he claims.

Health Secretary’s Cambridgeshire office targeted by NHS protesters – News – Cambridge First

ANDREW Lansley, the Health Secretary, has been targeted by protesters angry at proposed reforms to the NHS.

In an attack, thought to be last night, his Hardwick office was daubed with the slogans “Hands off our NHS” and “Tory Scum” and a window smashed.

The protesters said they left a letter for Mr Lansley demanding for patients to be treated as patients and not consumers.

The attack comes in response to Government plans for the biggest overhaul of the NHS in its 63-year history.

Conservative and Liberal-Democrat coalition hypocrisy is seen in recent NHS news with Andrew Lansley saying “The government’s commitment to our NHS is strong and enduring. Labour would cut our NHS in spite of the increasing demands on the service. The damage this would be doing from [1 April] would be immense. They would leave ***our*** NHS in crisis.”



A few recent news articles concerning the UK’s Conservative and Liberal-Democrat coalition government – the ConDem’s – brutal attack on the National Health Service.

‘Kids will die’ warning on Leeds heart unit closure – Latest News – Yorkshire Evening Post

CHILDREN will die if Leeds loses its heart surgery service, top doctors have warned.

Half the city’s intensive care beds for the sickest youngsters would also close.

And operations on adults with congenital heart problems would no longer be able to be carried out in Leeds.

The unit at Leeds General Infirmary is under threat because of a national review of children’s heart surgery which is suggesting that several of the 11 centres should close.

NHS reforms could worsen postcode lottery, managers warn – Telegraph

In some of its harshest criticisms to date, the NHS Confederation says there are “significant risks” in the Government’s plans as well as an “absence of detail” regarding how they will be implemented.

The umbrella group says the drive to improve local decisions will mean more “variability of access to services”, while competition based on price is “likely” despite ministers’ assurances.

It comes as a new survey of GPs finds that three-quarters want limits place on the involvement of the private sector in healthcare and more than half have no confidence in the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley.

‘Don’t fool about with NHS,’ say protest unions (From The Bolton News)

NHS staff will stage protests tomorrow outside the Royal Bolton Hospital and Lever Chambers Centre for Health in the town centre against Government cuts.

Nurses, midwives, porters and administration staff will be among those holding the demonstrations, which are a local follow-up to the huge national march in London.

Health staff were among more than 400 people from Bolton who joined an estimated 400,000 protesters fighting government cuts in the capital on Saturday.

Labour ”would have made £2.6bn NHS cut” – Public Service

Labour would have been making cuts to the NHS if it had remained in power, the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said.

With David Cameron insisting at Prime Minister’s Questions that spending in real terms on the NHS will continue to rise under the coalition government – it will increase by more than the rate of inflation – Lansley wrote to Labour leader Ed Miliband to say that Labour would have cut England’s NHS budget by around £2.6bn in 2011.

Lansley said: “The government’s commitment to our NHS is strong and enduring. Labour would cut our NHS in spite of the increasing demands on the service. The damage this would be doing from [1 April] would be immense. They would leave our NHS in crisis.”

Andrew Lansley is promoting the role of ‘mutuals’ in providing services in his proposed NHS ‘reforms’. I understand ‘mutuals’ to mean different structures such as co-operative societies ‘co-ops’ or charities which are not profit making organisations. There are few details as yet but the proposal is not warmly received and may suggest desperation. See the linked Guardian article for more details.

Unions have called an ‘All Together for the NHS day’ on Friday.

A few recent news articles concerning the UK’s Conservative and Liberal-Democrat coalition government – the ConDem’s – brutal attack on the National Health Service.

Cuts to mental health service ‘will put young people at risk’ | News

Hundreds of vulnerable children and teenagers could be hit by £500,000 of cuts to a London health service.

The move follows a squeeze on funding and desperate attempts by the local NHS trust and council to make government-imposed savings. The Unite union today said the proposed cutbacks at Lewisham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services will be a “real blow” to the families who rely on it.

The savings are a result of funding cuts from a variety of sources including Lewisham Primary Care Trust and Lewisham council.

NHS cuts will lead to further neglect | Society | The Guardian

NHS reform dominates the news. Crowding in behind it are stories about cuts to health services. And, in third place, there are dark descriptions of patient neglect, as reported recently, for example, by the health service ombudsman. Yet it is the second and third of these news items that are the more important.

They affect patient care viscerally, while the reforms constitute a merely ideological and bureaucratic distraction. We read of a single NHS trust shedding hundreds of nurses and beds, but there are many trusts doing the same. Of course, if we believe what we are told, these are simply efficiency savings and patient care will not suffer.

But we know better. We have been here before. From 2005 onward, NHS trusts were cutting with gusto even though, in 2000, the government had stated that 7,000 more beds were required. Instead, by 2010, some 30,000 had gone, on the basis of wishfully thinking that older people, their main occupiers, did not need them.

NHS reforms: Mutuals will give staff ‘right to provide’ | Society | The Guardian

Health secretary Andrew Lansley will invite doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff to take what will be seen as another step towards privatisation, by forming “mutuals” which will contract with the NHS to provide care for patients.

Lansley will announce a “right to provide” for staff right across the NHS. Healthcare professionals in specialised areas, such as eating disorders, alcohol and drug detox, mental health and sexual health, could set up their own organisations with mutual ownership.

These would exist outside the NHS but be contracted to provide care. They will run their own budget, lease NHS equipment and the premises where they provide treatment and decide how to organise care without reference to trust managers.

Health reforms are ‘too far, too fast’ claims doc | Macclesfield Express – menmedia.co.uk

A top doctor has joined a chorus of disapproval over government reforms to the NHS. The proposed changes, which are still going through parliament, will see Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities abolished and responsibility for commissioning services passed on to new ‘GP consortia’.

The Express reported earlier this month that the Eastern Cheshire consortium has been named as a ‘pathfinder’, meaning they hope to begin operation well before the April 2013 deadline.

But Adrian Heald, a consultant physician at Macclesfield Hospital and Leighton hospital in Crewe, told a public meeting called to discuss the reforms that he feared it could be too far, too fast.

Milburn adds his voice to growing disquiet on NHS reforms | InPharm

Former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn has come out against the government’s health reforms, adding to the chorus of voices against the reorganisation of the NHS.

The reforms aim at putting GPs in charge of the NHS budget whilst abolishing the current management structure, but Milburn said this is shortsighted given the challenges of finding £20 billion in efficiency savings by 2015.

“There’s a chasm between the cost of making change and the cash available for it,” he said in an article for The Guardian.

All together for the NHS – PCS Comment – PCS

This Friday will see thousands of people unite in support for ‘All Together for the NHS day’ to raise awareness about what is happening to the NHS and to oppose the government’s controversial plans to shake up the system.

These plans – set out in the Health and Social Care Bill currently going through Parliament have already been criticised by NHS staff, economists, charities, and patients for being ill thought through, undemocratic, and likely to leave patients vulnerable and at risk.

Friday will see campaigners raising awareness of these changes by visiting MPs in constituencies, workplace meetings, open public meetings and other local activities.

UNISON Press | Press Releases Front Page

UNISON members are piling the pressure on local MPs over the disastrous consequences for the NHS, if the Government ploughs ahead with its Health and Social Care Bill.

On April 1, right across the country, members will be lobbying their local constituency offices and holding workplace demos/lunchtime meetings and rallies to make their opposition heard.

The Bill has attracted widespread resistance from doctors, nurses, health professionals and NHS staff. Patients, charities and unions are lining up against it and poll after poll shows that the public clearly thinks it is bad news for the health service. The Bill is also causing concern among Lib Dem MPs and even some Tories are starting to openly express doubts about it.