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Our colourful leaflets and posters, and more recently\u00a0<\/span>our very popular postcards to MPs<\/b><\/a>, have focused on the need for urgent funding now, ending privatisation, which is undermining our NHS and the need for decent pay, conditions and respect for our hard working NHS staff<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n US spy tech company \u2018Palantir\u2019 has been awarded a\u00a0\u00a3330 million\u00a0contract to run the new NHS Federated Data Platform, despite concerns over the firm\u2019s suitability for handling sensitive health records.<\/span> In February 2021 \u2018Keep Our NHS Public\u2019, our national organisation launched the \u2018Peoples Covid Inquiry<\/a>\u2019 <\/span>\u00a0which collected a wide range of shocking evidence of Government misconduct.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Despite everything we heard at the time <\/span>the\u00a0official\u00a0Covid Inquiry has been even more shocking!\u00a0<\/b>Top of the list must be the hideous comments from\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/b>let the bodies pile high<\/i><\/b>\u2019 Boris Johnson’<\/b>\u00a0who along with other Government Ministers saw mounting deaths of older people as acceptable as they\u00a0<\/span>\u2018had their innings<\/span><\/i>\u2019 \u2013 unbelievable. No wonder his \u2019apology\u2019 caused\u00a0so much outrage among the bereaved families.<\/span><\/p>\n None of the leading politicians have been willing to take any blame for the\u00a0<\/span>233,554 deaths<\/b>\u00a0, the second worst in Europe. And\u00a0<\/span>Rishi Sunak<\/b>, or as the Chief Medical Officer calls him, \u2018Dr Death\u2019 due to his Eat Out to Help Out (the Virus) policy\u00a0<\/span>said 24 times that he couldn\u2019t recall details<\/b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span>not very impressive for a Prime Minister!<\/b> If you can donate\u00a0<\/b>to help the families continue in their fight for the facts, truth and justice please donate here<\/a> \u2013<\/span> The BMA is to take further strike action after talks with the Government ended without<\/span>\u00a0\u2018a credible offer on pay\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0despite<\/span>\u00a0\u2018more constructive\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/i>talks.<\/span> It has become popular these days for politicians to say that the NHS has enough money, it just needs to spend it differently, reorganise, reprioritise and stop waste. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately this view, which had driven years of Tory austerity and funding cuts now seems to have been adopted by <\/span>Wes Streeting, Labour\u2019s Shadow Health Secretary. He said in a recent interview in the Sunday Times: <\/span>“It\u2019s not good enough that the NHS uses every winter crisis and every challenge it faces as an excuse to ask for more money.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n No surprise that this statement has been seen as <\/span>a real kick in the teeth to struggling NHS workers, <\/b>especially in the A&Es and ambulance services.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the interview with Wes Streeting and the staff response<\/span> here<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The UK currently spends \u00a33055 per person on the NHS, 18% less than the EU average of \u00a33655. We have fewer doctors per head, 3 per 1000 compared with the EU average of 3.7 and fewer nurses per head with only 8.7 compared to the EU average of 9.9 \u2013 <\/span>so not awash with<\/b> money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In January 2023 the Government promised the NHS there would be <\/span>5000 extra beds<\/b> and <\/span>over 800 ambulances <\/b>this winter, in the Autumn Budget the NHS got<\/span> nothing. <\/b>51 new ambulances have been planned <\/span>but the bed situation has got worse <\/b>with<\/span> 2,675 <\/b>fewer beds<\/span> With nearly one in nine 152,115 patients already waiting 12-hours or more from their time of arrival at A&E \u2013 <\/span>the need for more funding couldn\u2019t be clearer.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n More on the Winter Crisis in \u2018THE Lowdown\u2019 <\/span>here<\/span> <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Campaigners like us certainly have our work cut out to get politicians of all parties to understand that without proper funding and support for NHS staff the situation will only get worse. With a general election coming up, our postcards to local MPs are certainly going out at the right time!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ealingsaveournhs.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231216_115844-1024x730.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe end our campaigning year with yet another successful Stall in Greenford \u2013 thanks to the public for their continued support.\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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PATIENT TRUST AT RISK AS PALANTIR WINS CONTRACT \u2013 LEGAL ACTION LAUNCHED<\/b><\/h2>\n\n
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<\/span>NHS England has rejected data privacy campaigners\u2019 calls to allow patients to opt out of having their health data shared. It claims this is not necessary because patients\u2019 data will be anonymised and the platform will be used for\u00a0<\/span>\u201cdirect care\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0only.<\/span>
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<\/span>Cori Crider, the director of tech justice group \u2018Foxglove\u2019, said the lack of an opt out\u00a0<\/span>\u201cputs [the] government on a crash course with people\u2019s expectation that they, not officials, should decide what\u2019s done with their health data.\u201d<\/span><\/i>
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<\/span>Dr David Nicholl, spokesperson for the\u00a0<\/span>‘Doctors\u2019 Association UK’<\/span><\/i>\u00a0(DAUK), said that\u00a0<\/span>\u201cbasic issues of informed consent are being ignored, and this deal could lead to a loss of privacy and seriously erode patient trust\u201d.<\/span><\/i>
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<\/b>Foxglove, Doctors Association UK and others have launched a legal challenge<\/b>\u00a0and have sent legal letters to the government seeking commitments about the safeguarding of patient data and complying with the law. They could well be back in court again –\u00a0<\/span>WATCH THIS SPACE<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\nSUPPORT THE COVID BEREAVED FAMILIES \u2013 THEIR FIGHT FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES:<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/span>\u2018Covid Bereaved Families for Justice\u2019<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>have been determined to get answers so that lessons can be learned and lives saved in the future. Many of them have spent thousands of pounds travelling to the Inquiry every day to make sure their presence is felt.<\/span>
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<\/b>THEY REALLY NEED OUR SUPPORT<\/b><\/p>\n
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<\/span>JUNIOR DOCTORS TO STRIKE AGAIN AS TALKS FAIL TO PRODUCE A CREDIBLE PAY OFFER:<\/b><\/h2>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ealingsaveournhs.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Photo-5-2.jpg\")
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<\/span>Strikes are set to take place from 7.00 am on the 20 December to 7.00 am on 23 December 2023 and from 7.00 am on the 3 January to 7.00 am on 9 January 2024.<\/span>
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<\/span>The BMA Junior Doctors Committee said –\u00a0<\/span>\u201cIt is a great shame that even though the approach was more constructive, there was not enough on offer to shape a credible deal, which we hoped would end the dispute. Without enough progress by the deadline, we have no choice but to take action that demonstrates doctors are as determined as ever in reversing their pay cuts.<\/span><\/i>
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<\/span>Clearly neither patients nor doctors want to see any more strike action – but the Government has refused to talk to to the BMA until very recently and should have come up with a credible offer to settle the dispute and stop Junior doctors from leaving the NHS.<\/span><\/p>\nDOES THE NHS HAVE ENOUGH MONEY?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSO WHAT IS THE TRUTH?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n