The General Election: it’s time to get the NHS we want and need!

The NHS is definitely a big election issue.

After 14 years of Tory cuts, underfunding and privatisation  the NHS desperately needs a new Government.  It will need to address the growing waiting lists; ambulance and GP waits; lack of NHS dentists, inadequate mental health provision, crumbling buildings, staff retention and low morale, fix social care and more ( IT’S A LONG LIST!)

Unfortunately neither Labour on any of the main parties have made a commitment to give the NHS and Social Care the funds they so urgently need. So, whoever gets elected it will be up to campaigners, unions and the wider public to pile on the pressure to achieve this.

Our postcards to the newly elected MPs are very timely indeed – and we won’t let them off the hook!

‘Keep Our NHS Public’ have produced an excellent Election Statement for voters so please do take the time to read it. (See below)

IT WAS CARNIVAL TIME  IN HANWELL ON SATURDAY :

One of ESON’s favourite events of the campaigning year took place on Saturday 15th June.   

Our postcards to MPs calling for emergency funding and an end to privatisation were very popular, with around 125 filled in, despite the awful weather and our poor location. These were posted in ‘our huge postbox’ and will be sent to our newly elected MPs after 4th July ( thanks to Arthur our Treasurer for the postbox). 

Oliver, our Chair, had also designed some new posters with the same election message calling for urgent funding and ending privatisation.

We also collected lots of signatures for the ‘Doctors Not Call Centres’ campaign  in North West London and had nice posters to go with this too

Overall a good day for us campaigners.

GENERAL ELECTION: RAISE THE CALL – ‘RESTORE THE PEOPLE’S NHS’

There is without a doubt huge public support for the NHS and for a new Government with policies that will address the Crisis.

‘Keep Our NHS Public’ will be highlighting the record of those in government and  asking voters to select those who will best support a public and well-funded NHS, and move to establish a publicly funded national care, support and independent living service. 

“This requires a fundamental change in perspective – one that regards funding of public services as an investment in human well-being and an underpinning of a productive economy. Good public services maximise the ability of people to participate in society and a productive economy – they are not simply a cost to be grudgingly accepted”.

The full statement is on the KONP website here

ASK YOUR LOCAL CANDIDATES TO SUPPORT THE  ‘WE OWN IT’  NHS PLEDGE:

This is a great initiative from ‘We Own It’.

They are asking us, the public, to use the power in our hands to save our NHS this general election and join tens of thousands of people – including celebrities – to demand our local candidates take the ‘Pledge for the NHS’.

By taking the ‘Pledge for the NHS’ candidates will be promising that if elected they will demand the new government,

1. Reinstate the Health Secretary’s legal duty to provide healthcare to all
2. Give the NHS £40 billion more per year to catch up with equivalent European countries
3. End outsourcing – bring services back in house as contracts end

You just have to click here to send a letter to local candidates. Let’s bombard them because so far only three candidates from the whole of Ealing have signed the pledge!

RESTORE THE PEOPLES NHS

With an Election coming up, the ‘Restore the People’s NHS’ London conference is a big opportunity for NHS campaigners, newcomers and all those passionate about ending the NHS crisis and saving it for future generations to come together.  

NHS activists, health workers, politicians and respected experts will be speaking about how and why we should be fighting for a full restoration of the founding principles of the NHS.  

The impressive line-up of speakers includes; Johnbosco Nwogbo (We Own It); Dr Pallavi Devul (Green Party Health Spokesperson); Andrew Matheson (A&E Doctor & SOSNHS) John Puntis (KONP) Diane Abbot (ex- Labour Shadow Health Spokesperson) Mark Thomas (99% Organisation and Rational Policy Makers Guide to the NHS)  

You can book via  Eventbrite here