We had a really good celebration and protest on Saturday 3rd July at our NHS 73rd Birthday event with around 60 people turning out despite the rain AND almost constant beeps of support from passing cars and buses too.

There was over 70 similar events around the country as part of a NHS Day of Action for pay justice, funding the NHS and ending privatisation, organised by ‘Keep Our NHS Public’, ‘Health Campaigns Together’, ‘NHS Staff Voices’ and ‘NHS Workers say No’.

We listened to some really good speeches, ate delicious homemade cakes, had a few chants and gave out leaflets.

It was great to work with Ealing TUC and have the support of MPs Virendra Sharma, Rupa Huq and GLA member Dr Onkar Sahota.

There was a really good turnout from all our lovely campaigners and supporters and we were also joined by Dr Mona Kamal of NHS Voices, GMB Medirest Rep Binrajah, Ealing Reclaim Social Care Action Group, local Councillors, Southall Community Alliance, Stand Up to Racism and the Green Party.

We certainly did show that we “Love Our NHS and Ealing Hospital” and want them properly funded and we want a decent pay rise for our brilliant NHS Staff!

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London Demonstration: Although we couldn’t join the London Demo on 3rd July you can see some of the photos and read a good article on the National Day of Action here.

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  GPs to Vote on Potential Alternatives to NHS Contracting Model
  BMA ‘Plan B’ Ballot Highlights Growing Concerns Over the Future of NHS General Practice The British Medical Association (BMA) has confirmed plans to ballot GPs in England on a potential “Plan B” for general practice, reflecting growing concern within the profession about the long-term sustainability of NHS primary care. The proposal follows a vote at the UK Local Medical Committees (LMC) Conference, where GP representatives supported exploring alternative models of service provision, including greater freedom for practices to offer private services alongside NHS care. (British Medical Association) Under the proposed Plan B, GPs would be consulted on whether alternative contractual… Read more: GPs to Vote on Potential Alternatives to NHS Contracting Model

EALING BREAST CARE UNIT – SAFE FOR NOW! We are very pleased to have received a letter from the London North West NHS Trust CEO to say that no decision has been taken to close the Breast Care Unit and no plans to do so! This was further confirmed to us at the recent Trust Board Meeting. The Service is however under review and we are continuing to make strong representation in support of not just keeping but improving Ealing’s Breast Care Service. Although the service is safe for now, only some of the Breast Care Clinics have re-opened after the shut down due to Covid 19. Instead of two full days a week (4 clinics) only one full day (2 clinics) has been re-opened – a 50% cut. However all the clinics at both Central Middlesex and Northwick have re-opened. We have asked why Ealing women are being treated differently! We are also pressing for breast surgery to be returned to Ealing, having been cut 4 or 5 years ago.

JOIN US ON SATURDAY 3RD JULY OUTSIDE EALING HOSPITAL FROM 12.00-1.30PM Despite all their dedication and hard work throughout the pandemic, NHS staff have been offered a disgraceful 1% pay rise and many workers are struggling to make ends meet- it is an insult! The Pay Review Body will be making its findings public in June, which will bring the whole issue of pay back into the media. Campaigners want to show maximum solidarity with NHS staff as well as making sure that patient safety, privatisation and the government’s woeful handling of the Covid-19 pandemic remain clearly in the public eye. On the 73rd anniversary of the NHS, Keep Our NHS Public, NHS Workers Say No!, NHS Staff Voices and Health Campaigns Together have come together to show that they will not be backing down without a fight. Please join us for a good old shout, some songs, speakers and maybe some cake on the 3rd – hold the date!

UNDER PRESSURE THE PLANS TO SHARE OUR PATIENT DATA HAVE NOW BEEN DELAYED TO 1ST SEPTEMBER BUT STILL BEST TO ACT

If you live in England, all your encounters with your GP – information about your physical, mental and sexual health and other sensitive information such as criminal records and abuse are being put into a huge database which can be shared with ‘third parties’, including private companies!

This is being done without patient consent by NHS Digital, who runs the health service IT system, under instruction from Secretary of State, Matt Hancock. 

This new data system (General Practice Data for Planning and Research system (GPDPR) comes in to effect on 1st July 2021, so there is only a short time to spread the word.

Campaign groups for digital rights such as ‘Foxglove’ have started legal action. Rose Curling, Solicitor from ‘Foxglove’, in a legal letter sent to the Department of Health & Social Care, said they had “serious concerns” about the legality of the move because no explicit consent had been given and “very few members of the public will be aware that the new processing is imminent, directly affecting their personal medical data”.  Further legal action is being prepared in conjunction with ‘Just Treatment’

NHS Digital denies that our data will be sold off and claim private companies will only be able to request access for research purposes, but they have been pretty silent on who will have access.  

After the Government give away of billions of pounds in Covid contracts to their cronies, why should we trust them not to do the same with this very lucrative ‘lake of data’ estimated to be worth £10 billion a year!!

‘Foxglove’ are also concerned the data could be shared with US tech giants including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, plus UK artificial intelligence group Faculty and US data analytics firm Palantir Technologies.

We can do something about this and opt out by filling in this form and taking it to our GP’s before the deadline of 23rd June. After this date our historical records become a permanent and irreversible part of the new data system. Patients who opt out after the deadline can only stop any future data from being funnelled into the new system.

SOME IMPORTANT LINKS: 

How to opt out – it’s easy and doesn’t affect your care

an excellent video explaining how the data store works and why ‘Foxglove’ is taking legal action.

And if you are still not sure what to do, it’s well worth reading this detailed explanation from Caroline Molloy of ‘Open Democracy’.

Ealing Save Our NHS held a protest against privatised Test and Trace on Tuesday outside Ealing Town Hall.

Campaigner Oliver New said “Serco and other private companies have been handed millions to run their tracing contract misleadingly called “NHS Test & Trace”. But the cross-party Public Accounts Committee of MPs recently concluded that there is
“NO clear evidence” that it has helped reduce infection levels.

Serco and other private companies have been put in charge of running the Test and Trace system – but it’s a
disaster because it’s not actually “NHS” Test and Trace – it’s privatised Test and Trace.

The Government allocated £37 billion of taxpayer‘s money and gave huge contracts to SERCO and others with an unproven record. Those resources must instead go to the actual NHS and to Councils i.e. the people who are successfully delivering vaccinations to millions.. Those resources must instead to the actual NHS and to Councils i.e. the people who are
successfully delivering vaccinations to millions.

This is URGENT. Vaccines alone won’t beat Covid 19. Most success in other countries involved local contact tracing and isolating. As more Covidvariants emerge we need to act now.

“Not only are Councils naturally placed to respond quickly to the distinct needs, challenges and infection rates of their own area, but they are equipped with their own teams of public health professionals.”
Professor Donna Hall (Chair, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)

An influential Parliamentary Committee said there was no evidence the “unimaginable” cost of Test & Trace made any progress in dealing with the pandemic. The Cross-Party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) added that despite being allocated £37 billion in funding, it failed to deliver the Government promise of preventing
lockdowns.