Public+services+-+health+services+-+Local+campaigns+-+July+08


 * Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition**


 * Haringey Residents celebrate NHS 60th anniversary and pledge to defend free public healthcare for all **
 * - successful film show and public meeting on the anniversary**
 * - meeting pledges to step up opposition to recent cuts, closures and moves towards greater privatisation**
 * - NHS local week of action continues, culminating this Tuesday**

On Sat 5th July the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition, as part of a local Week of Action to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS (founded 5th July 1948), held a successful public meeting and film show at the Old British Legion, 399 Tottenham High Rd. 35 attended a special showing of Michael Moore's shocking but hilarious 2-hour documentary 'SiCKO' about the inadequacies and unfairness of the health system in the USA. The US system is dominated by health insurance companies and private corporations, and tens of millions of people are unable to access healthcare or are charged tens of thousands of dollars for routine treatment free in the UK.

After the film show a panel of speakers addressed the meeting, leading to a general discussion (see below). Those present pledged to redouble efforts to protect the ethos of the NHS as a free, comprehensive and world class public health service for everyone throughout their lives.

- a **patients' Save Our Surgeries' protest last Tuesday** - a **book launch on Wednesday for a new booklet 'NHS is 60 - undevalued, underfunded and undermined'** by Haringey's Radical History network - support for a **londonwide 'Keep Our NHS Public' protest at the Department of Health HQ** in Whitehall, - **the film show and public meeting on Saturday**
 * The local week of action so far: **

It will culminate tomorrow, __Tuesday__, with:

- a **special 'Save Our Surgeries' patients protest** at St Ann's Hospital (Haringey PCT HQ) from **9am - 10am** - a **demonstration at the Whittington Hospital (Archway) at 5.30pm** in protest at the visit of Richard Smith, Chief Executive Officer of United Healthcare Europe (a controversial US corporation) as guest speaker at the Hospital Board's annual dinner. He will be speaking on the subject: 'Is the NHS being privatised?' at the Postgraduate Centre, Holborn Union Building, Highate Hill N19 5LW (by Archway tube). The protest has been called by the Camden Keep Our NHS Public Campaign, supported by the Better Local Healthcare Campaign (west Haringey), and they call on residents and healthworkers to 'Tell private health companies they are not welcome in our NHS'

The meeting was chaired by **Tim Loveridge, chair of Haringey Health UNISON (the health workers trade union).** On behalf of the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition, which includes healthworkers, residents, user groups and campaigning organisations, he welcomed those present. **Alan Woodwood, the treasurer of Haringey Trades Union Council and the editor of the 'NHS is 60' booklet** (launched this week by the Radical History Network) made a brief introduction on behalf of the Coalition about why the meeting had been called.
 * Meeting pledges to defend the NHS and to oppose cuts, closures and greater privatisation **


 * Peter Draper, Haringey resident and a committee member of the national Keep Our NHS Public organisation,** welcomed the film showing as a //'warning of what could be in store for our public health services if we don't speak out - government policy seems determined to introduce privatisation by stealth'.//


 * Lesley Fisher, a mental health matron at St Ann's Hospital and secretary of Haringey Health UNISON,** outlined some of her experiences over previous decades. She stated that //'the founding of the NHS has transformed health care for people in the UK and there have been tremendous advances in every decade since.'// She had been involved in campaigns against hospital closures in the 1980s, including Haringey's only general hospital, The Prince of Wales in Tottenham High Rd. She explained that thesedays staff are being put under increasing pressure due to cuts, for example in mental health, and there are //'growing concerns over the future direction of our front line health services. Greater resources are needed, not less.'//


 * Kate Wilkinson, a member of the Save Chase Farm campaign (and an independent Enfield Councillor elected for that purpose)**, outlined how people in Enfield have been mobilising to prevent closures of vital services at their local Chase Farm general hospital. They have held 2 marches, each of over 5,000 people, and there have been 79,000 public protest letters. As a result of public pressure the joint Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Scrutiny Committees (of local Councillors) have blocked the threats to the hospital and refered the matter to the Secretary of State for an 'independent Review'. She thanked Haringey campaigners for supporting the campaign, saying //'it is vital that we swap news, share our concerns and support each other. The efforts of local campaigns are having an effect and we must use every avenue available to us.'//


 * Janet Shapiro, from the Better Local Healthcare Campaign (in west Haringey)** explained how the group had been formed out of the long campaign to re-open the Hornsey Central Hospital, which had been set up 100 years ago through popular public subscription. //'Although we were successful in getting the site back into use, the PCT scandalously sold some of the land and demolished the buildings. In the face of public opposition they are now creating a polyclinic, threatening the future of neighbourhood-based GPs, chemists and other primary care services in the west of Haringey. So we decided that we need to broaden our campaign in order to defend and improve local community services, especially those that effect the most vulnerable such as older people.'//


 * Saba Rahi, a patient from the Evergreen House Surgery,** explained how they had decided to call the weekly 'Save Our Surgeries' patients protests. //'We are calling on all Haringey patients to come and join us to demand written guarantees that their surgeries will not face closure, with GPs being forced into polyclinics.'//

There were then many equally valuable contributions from those present. Everyone agreed that it was vital that the ethos and services provided by NHS be robustly defended.

At the end **Dave Morris, Secretary of the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition,** explained that the Coalition had brought together a wide range of local organisations concerned to stop cuts, closures and threats of privatisation. //'We have succeeeded in alerting the public to what is going on, and in making health cuts a major controversy. Similar campaigns are going on all over the UK and are forcing the Government onto the defensive. On the 60th anniversary of the NHS we are proud to be part of nationwide movement to defend the ethos and quality of our public health services and are calling on all local people to add their voices now. '//


 * The Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition** is an alliance of residents groups, trades unions, health campaigners, user groups and political organisations opposing cuts, closures and privatisation of our health services.

// Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition : Union Office, St Ann’s Hospital, N15  // // 8211 0916 //


 * [[image:014.JPG width="386" height="271" caption="More join the weekly protests"]] ||
 * More join the weekly protests ||

=** - 'Save Our Surgeries' Patients' Protests **= Patients Pickets at PCT HQ continue to put pressure on health bosses Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition Statement - 17th June 2008 In the second of the weekly Patients Protests (Tuesdays 9am at the gates of St Ann's Hospital), Saba Rahi and Christina, patients at the Evergreen House Surgery in Wood Green, were joined by patients from the GP surgeries in Philip Lane, Tynemouth House and The Laurels in Tottenham. Saba Rahi said: //' We are demanding that the Haringey Primary Care Trust give a written guarantee that our local GP surgery will not be undermined or forced to close. We are inviting all other patients concerned about the threat of closure of their own surgeries to come and join us.'// The protestors have been gathering signatures on a 'Save Our Surgeries' petition. The petition, drawn up by the GPs' national organisation the British Medical Association, was signed by over 1 million people across the UK in its first week. It calls for opposition to local surgery closures and to the increasing commercialisation in primary care. Patients visiting St Ann's Hospital and health workers at the site have been queuing up to sign. UK Government Health Secretary Alan Johnson writing on Sunday 8th June [in The Observer] - about the national polyclinics/GP surgeries controversy which has been escalating all over the UK in recent weeks - categorically pledged: //'No current GP practices will be closed, as the new services will be in addition to existing ones and come with extra money.'// With Haringey PCT's '10 year Primary care Strategy' outlining the closure of 45 local surgeries (out of Haringey's total of 60), patients, GPs and campaigners are demanding it be suspended and re-drafted. There are also concerns about the PCT's recent commitment to 'contestability', ie privatisation - including the current threat to put The Laurels PMS GP practice out to private tender, and the same for the management of any future polyclinics. // 'Thanks to the fast growing protests in Haringey and across the country the Government has been forced onto the defensive. In the light of the Government's statements that no practices will be closed and that any new facilities will be in addition to existing services, we demand that Haringey PCT withdraw and rethink their highly controversial strategy. We call on all GPs and patients to demand guarantees that their surgeries will be removed from the PCT's discredited closure programme. All patients are welcome to come and join the Tuesday morning protests on behalf of their local surgeries.' // Dave Morris - Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition, Secretary

The protests are on Tuesdays 9am at the gates of St Ann's Hospital (Haringey Primary Care Trust HQ), N15. All welcome. Organised by Haringey patients - supported by the Evergreen House Surgery and the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition.

Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition: Union Office, St Ann’s Hospital, N15 SHHCC