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The big focus for our Campaign over the next month is the 70th Birthday of our NHS which came in to being on 5th July 1948 and put and end to the horrific situation whereby many people couldn’t afford to get help when they were ill.
We will be celebrating 70 years of a free, publically owned and publically run NHS and having a bit of a protest too against cuts and privatisation, especially here in Ealing.
Hanwell Carnival 16th June – join in the fun!
The 70th NHS Birthday will be the big focus for our Stall and on the Parade at Hanwell Carnival on 16th.
This year we are hoping to have our very own ESON Choir performing at the Stall in Elthorne Park. If you enjoy singing and would like to join us please let me know.
We will also have some photo opportunities for carnival goers, although probably not any TV stars as below!
Join the Carnival Parade: We usually get a good crowd joining our Ealing Save Our NHS Contingent. This year we have 70th Birthday hats for people to wear with our NHS sashes (very swish!) and of course Arthur’s legendary bed will be on the Parade too. If you would like to join in please go to Hanwell Community Centre on Sat 16th between 10.00-11.00am (departure time). Look for the ESON banner and bed!
Of course we also need people on our Stall to help and give out leaflets as well. You can find us in Elthorne Park from 12.00 noon – 6.00pm. Read more here.
Crazy Economics at Charing X and Ealing:
The London North West Healthcare Trust who run Ealing, Northwick Park & Central Middlesex Hospitals have ‘planned’ for a £31.4 million deficit for 2018/19. However the £31.4m deficit is based on them receiving extra funding of £27.3m (only paid if their A&E 4 hour waiting time is 90% across the Trust) and that they can deliver £34m worth of “savings” (i.e. cuts). Bizarrely they are allowed to borrow up to £31.4 million to cover the deficit at 1.5% interest thereby adding a further £4.6 million to the amount!
And it’s a similar story at Imperial NHS Trust, who run Charing X, St Mary’s and Chelsea & Westminster. They are planning £48 million worth of cuts to ‘help’ with their planned £20.6 million budget deficit for 2018/19 and get their loan. What about just giving them the funds they need to run our hospitals!
Please support the National Health Singers Appeal:
The National Health Singers will be recording a single to celebrate the 70th birthday of the NHS and raise awareness on the current plight of our NHS. They are not just your usual choir but are a protest choir made up of a range of NHS staff and allies. They sing at protests and demonstrations including the forthcoming 70th Anniversary event on the 30th June. If you would like to support them and help fund the cost of the new single the link is here–
And here the video of the choir’s previous single –
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:
OUR NEXT CAMPAIGN MEETING is Tuesday 19th June, 7.30pm in Northfields Community Centre. All welcome.
Saturday 30th June
Please join us on the Big 70th NHS Birthday Celebration & Demonstration. We are meeting up at Ealing Broadway Station at 11.30am with our banner and placards.
Thursday 5th July: 12.00 – 2.00pm
Our 70th Birthday Party outside Ealing Hospital with music, singing, cake, balloons and speakers; including Council Leader Julian Bell and Virendra Sharma MP (parliament permitting)
AND SOME INTERESTING READING:
New article on our website: “The Ealing MCAP Debacle” by Colin Standfield.
In an effort to do the undoable, Ealing’s health bosses hired a private American firm called Finnamore to ‘fix’ what they claim is the overuse of hospital beds. Colin Standfield lifts the lid on what actually happened, using his usual dry humour and focus on facts. Colin shows that the people who are now offering a billion-pound contract for our Out Of Hospital services really don’t know what they are doing.
The Great NHS Property sell-off
This is a good round up of what’s happening to NHS assets. It’s story of how the NHS is selling off assets to pay for their vision of developing out of hospital care and care in the community, centralising services and of course giving the private sector a bigger share of the cake.
8,900 checks on ‘NHS health tourists’ find only 50 liable to pay
Latest figures from London hospitals involved in a trial which asked 8,894 people for two forms of ID prior to treatment showed that only 50, or one in 180 had to pay for their care. This included patients attending Maternity & Cardiology at Ealing Hospital. More on this story here–
