Make your MP think about the risk of destroying our NHS

This message has been sent round from UNISON's Million Voices Campaign;

On 22 February there is an important debate in the House of Commons on the future of the NHS.

The government has so far refused to release the so-called "risk register" behind its controversial Health Bill, despite the independent Information Commissioner telling them to do so.

Speculation suggests that the register contains damning information about the risks of the government's NHS overhaul, particularly around the cost of its plans and the ability of GPs to take on massive new responsibilities.

It takes just two minutes to make a difference

The debate on 22 February is a chance for MPs to vote for the government to release the risk register now, so that the public will have a better idea of what is in store for the NHS and our politicians will be better informed when considering the Health Bill in Parliament.

Ask your MP to support the motion that the risk register should be published.

NHS - 63 and going strong

Tuesday is the "birthday" of our National Health Service which, at 63, may face premature retirement at the hands of a hostile Government.

UNISON nationally has been encouraging members to organise events to mark this occasion - and to underline our determination to defend our NHS. The various events which are taking place are identified on ;the TUC's excellent "false economy" site.

Were I able to do so, I would certainly attend the London demonstration called by UNITE and backed by the Labour Representation Committee (LRC). UNISON in London needs to learn the art of not letting other people take the lead which we should be taking to defend our Health Service - but most importantly we should support every action which mobilises support for our NHS.

Defending the National Health Service

I am very disappointed not to be attending today’s demonstration in defence of the National Health Service – although I am pleased that there will be a delegation from my UNISON Branch.

I hope that today goes well and that it marks a step forward in the campaign that we need to defend our National Health Service. We need a vigorous campaign against the threats to our NHS – working with campaigning organisations as well as fellow trade unionists.

There does seem to me to be a danger of falling into the trap of thinking that a change of tone (or is it an absence of Tone) at Number 10 means that we are off the hook of privatisation. I doubt that those marching today will be taking such a mistaken view.

Good luck to everyone there today!

Keep the NHS working - demonstrate on 3 November

The NEC received a report of campaigning work in relation to the National Health Service, including preparations for the demonstration on 3 November. In this regard I was interested to be forwarded a report by an NEC colleague who sits on the Health Service Group Executive. In this report the Health SGE had been told that there was little support for the demonstration in Greater London (which is contrary to the policy agreed almost unanimously at the last Regional Council Annual General Meeting).

There was some debate about what might happen to the demonstration in the event of a General Election being called. The Chair of the Policy Committee made clear that at present it was “full steam ahead” for the demonstration and that all branches should be organising to attend on Saturday 3 November. This is a citizenship issue and it is important that it is not left to our members in health to defend the health service (after all, all of us need the NHS from time to time!)

Because of legal limits on “third party” expenditure during an election period, there would be problems for UNISON if an election was called to take place shortly after 3 November. The President, Norma Stephenson, made clear that she expected that, should this arise, the Union would look to find ways in which the demonstration could continue to go ahead – since many branches had already booked transport and would be likely to turn up anyway!

Since funding for the demonstration is coming from the General Political Fund Committee, which under Rule is autonomous from the NEC as a whole, any branches who may wish to express a view about the importance of this demonstration going ahead may wish to know the membership of that Committee, which is as follows;

James Anthony

Sarah Bradfield

Jane Carolan

Graeme Horn

Maureen Le Marinel

Annette Mansell-Green – Co-Chair

Helen Rose

Alison Shepherd

Sian Stockham

Linda Sweet

Chris Tansley – Co-Chair

Steve Warwick.

I supported the view that the demonstration should go ahead. If the expenditure on the demonstration had to count against money UNISON could spend during the General Election well, we would just have to cut back on support elsewhere!

The clear message from our President was to step up preparations for a really massive demonstration on 3 November.

Saturday is the day to defend our NHS

Saturday is an important day in the defence of our National Health Service. Check here for official details of activities all over the country. I hope the weather stays good!

I hope to be supporting the day in Brighton – other UNISON activists will be supporting events all over London, including the official rally. There are also a wide range of events which don’t appear in the “official listings” – but which you can read about here.

As a general rule, grassroots campaigners and rank and file activists are key to effective campaigning. That is why you can read about events in Tower Hamlets, Sutton (good luck Kevin!), Enfield and all over the place, which don’t feature in the “official listings”.

The trade union leadership need to recognise that the defence of the NHS requires a positive engagement with activists. Partnership with New Labour is no longer on offer, and won’t be even under “listening Brown”…

So let's get out there on Saturday and defend our health service!

Defending the NHS without blinkers

It’s good to see Dave Prentis writing in the Morning Star this morning, promoting the activities on 3 March being organised by NHS Together.

Everyone who can should support one of the many local events which are being organised around the country on 3 March by the unprecedented coalition of all NHS unions.

However, Dave isn’t giving the whole picture when he says – in support of the events of 3 March that “Gone is the blinkered view that London is the only place to be if you want to protest. A demo-fatigued capital is being given a rest in favour of vibrant, local, inclusive events that are easy for people to get to and where families and local people can come together to make their voices heard.”

This really is a false dichotomy. There is no choice between local action and national events if we want to save our NHS – or mount any campaign to influence Government policy. We manifestly need both.

Indeed, Dave Prentis reported to the UNISON NEC in October that it was intended that there would be a national demonstration early in 2007 following on from the NHS Together lobby of Parliament on 1 November last year.

To quote from our website; “the lobby will kick off a winter of campaigning, leading to a national demonstration in February next year, the NEC heard.”

Plans for the national demonstration were abandoned because of a poor response to consultation with other Unions and within UNISON. We should be honest with ourselves that this was a setback – it means we have more work to do to get the campaign to where we want it to be. It does not mean that we are no longer in favour of national demonstrations!

The inevitably uneven nature of the crisis affecting our health service does make it difficult to mobilise for national action in every area – but if we seriously want to make the Government change course then part of what we need to do is march in our thousands down Whitehall. A national demonstration is not a “be all and end all”, but it will be part of a successful campaign.

That’s not a blinkered view, it is the view that was put to the UNISON NEC by our General Secretary last year. The Greater London Regional Council is to put a proposal for a national demonstration to UNISON’s National Delegate Conference in June. Let’s hope that the 3 March helps us build up a campaign which really can shift the Government.

Defend the NHS on the 3 March

Everyone should be planning for how to maximise the impact of the day of activities to defend the NHS on Saturday 3 March.

What a shame that a downbeat approach to consultation produced the expected outcome so that the leadership of the various unions could decide not to go ahead with a national demonstration. So we have to make the most of the events which are being organised.

At the UNISON Greater London Regional Council AGM on 1 February only four delegates opposed a call for a national demonstration in defence of the NHS. That call will now go forward in the name of the Greater London Region to our National Delegate Conference. Our union needs a leadership that has the confidence to lead in a time of crisis - and to give a lead to the enormous tide of opposition to attacks on the NHS.

I was pleased that our Regional Council took the decision to call for a national demonstration, and look forward to debating this call with my opponent in the forthcoming NEC elections. I won’t mention the identity of the four delegates who disagreed with the decision, as I am sure that they were simply abiding by a branch mandate…