Save our NHS – campaign planning meeting – Monday 19th March 2018 7.30pm, St John’s Hall, Penzance

I have arranged a NHS campaign planning meeting to take place at St John’s Hall, Penzance on Monday 19th March at 7.30pm and would be pleased to see you can come.

As you will know, there are already a number of NHS campaigns. So it’s important to make sure that this one compliments, is easily understood, has a clear target and sets an achievable goal which we can all work towards.

I didn’t want to start with a complete blank sheet, but of course I also don’t want to present the meeting with a tablet of stone. So to help get us started at the meeting I’ve set out below three potential elements of a campaign which I drew from the public meeting and from subsequently consulting widely. It seems to me we should adopt a campaign which is also able to address the serious concerns expressed by NHS staff. So the proposed elements are these:

1. A 10% budget increase by 2020 to save the NHS. If necessary raise taxes on those most able to pay to fund it.
2. Patients before Profit – an efficient NHS which puts patients first; and clinical priorities above market dogma.
3. Mandated safe staffing levels – the current exodus of valuable registered medical professionals will reach avalanche levels if understaffing is not addressed. Medical professionals deserve assurance that mandated registered nurse/doctor staff levels will not be compromised – at all levels and in all settings (acute sector, primary and community care; from mid-wifery to general practice).

It’s also suggested that the Sustainability and Transformation Plans (‘Shaping our Future’) should also be halted or made less budget-driven. But I’ll leave that one for the meeting as opinion is sharply divided and i can talk you through that.

I’d be interested in your views and advice on all of these suggestions.

It’s clear that this campaign must go to Government. It cannot be a short-sharp overnight protest, but will require a sustained campaign. Perhaps peaking this summer or early autumn.

If in the meantime you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

If there are others who you think may not be included in this circulation and might be interested to attend please let me know and I’ll make sure they’re added to the list.

In case you didn’t come or need reminding I attach a copy of a screen shot taken from my facebook page which reported on the public meeting. That page also has a complete video recording of the meeting, in case you wanted to review.

I regret that we may need to make a bucket collection at the meeting to help pay for the hire of the hall. You are not expected to make a donation and i don’t want anyone to be put off by that.