Youngbloodtim

Then why are the health professionals generally opposed to it?

Got this today from 38degrees: The government?s plans to privatise and fragment our NHS are taking shape in Dulwich and West Norwood. Local doctors are forming a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for the area. They?re going to get new powers to decide what health services you and your neighbours are able to access and who provides them. [1] Whether it?s treatment for diabetes, skin conditions, a broken arm or depression, profit-hungry companies like Virgin Care and Serco are circling, ready to bid for contracts by promising to slash costs. [2] The doctors on your local CCG will be under pressure from the government to hand out contracts to private companies. That could put vital services at risk. [3] But the last thing most doctors want is to carve up our NHS for private profit. Plus, the new CCG has a legal duty to listen to local people. [4] So right now, we?ve got a big chance to ask local doctors to use their new powers to protect our NHS, not privatise it. Together, we can make sure they hear from hundreds of local people as they make these crucial decisions. Can you add your name to the petition to your local CCG now? https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/CCG-petition Donations from 38 Degrees members have funded lawyers to prepare robust wording for CCGs to write into their constitutions - protecting our NHS from the worst risks of the government's plans. [5] If we can get in early, while CCGs are still being formed, we can give doctors a better choice - one based on sound legal advice and the interests of patients, not private companies. 38 Degrees members will be able to work together to persuade their local CCG to write these safeguards into their constitutions. The government and the private health industry probably won?t like it at all, but there?s little they can do to stop people power. First things first. Can you add your name to the petition in Dulwich and West Norwood? https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/CCG-petition Thanks for being involved, Becky, Marie, Robin, Ian and the 38 Degrees team PS: The website tool that links you up with your local CCG is new - you?re one of the first to test it. If you have any problems or questions, please let us know by emailing: [email protected] NOTES [1] GP Online: GP and CCG relations: what are the challenges? http://insidecommissioning.gponline.com/2012/08/02/gp-and-ccg-relations-what-are-the-challenges/ [2] "Virgin Care...will take over integrated children's services in the south-west in March 2013 and will run frontline services for three years. Critics have warned that such deals herald the breakup of the NHS, with private firms cherrypicking services." Guardian: Virgin Care to take over children's health services in Devon http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/12/virgin-care-children-nhs-devon GP Online: Services open to ?any qualified provider? revealed by DH http://www.gponline.com/channel/news/article/1149786/services-open-any-qualified-provider-revealed-dh/ [3] ?...plans for a radical restructuring of the health service in England, which will give GPs control of much of the NHS's ?106bn annual budget, cut the number of health bodies, and introduce more competition into services? Guardian: NHS Reform Health bill passes vote http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/mar/20/nhs-reform-health-bill-passes-vote BBC: NHS - The shape of things to come http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17457102 [4] Telegraph: Scrap NHS Bill, say doctors who will run reforms http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9112448/Scrap-NHS-Bill-say-doctors-who-will-run-reforms.html Pulse: More GP commissioners withdraw support from health bill http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsarticle-content/-/article_display_list/13604675/more-gp-commissioners-withdraw-support-from-health-bill [5] 38 Degrees blog: Top legal advice to save our NHS http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2012/09/21/top-legal-advice-to-save-our-nhs/

Anyone who commutes via Denmark Hill probably needs a morale boost after the last few months of walking round the back of the station and seeing construction and mud. Well I got a little curious about where it was all heading. So I googled about and found a set of illustrations of how it should look when all this is done. Here is the slideshow http://www.flickr.com//photos/93439821@N00/sets/72157621778904669/show/with/3775104512/ Looks alright, but there is a lot of work to be done. YBT

Magpie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sounds like a great idea - lots of po faced > republicans on here by the looks of things, > although a residential street or Goose Green would > be more practical. The Royal family, are by the > way, net contributors to the public coffers as a > result of the Treasury receiving all income > generated from the the Crown Estates, which are > the legal property of the Queen. Actually royal residences where there are no more royals (Tower of London) make a lot more money and are cheaper to run than the ones taken up by the royals. And people really come out for beheadings as well as weddings. Could you imagine the merchandise? And that .62 a person a year isn't all it costs you. The real price tag is much higher. 'Although the Palace never discusses security or includes it in its annual balance sheet, the cost of protecting the Royal Family is said to be almost ?100 million a year'(That's a quote from the Times). The greater cost is the fact our children will never grow up with a possibility of being head of state. They will be asked to look up to the current crop of royals, a pretty sad lot, completely out of touch. Too bad another family can't take it off them. One that is actually British would be an improvement. If we really wanted to save some money we get a real head of state. They could surrender all the state gifts, and move into a council house, or perhaps just buy their own houses. It's not like they couldn't afford it. From the sound of things on this forum, a Republican party on May 1 might not only be more popular; it might be a lot more fun. T

That is good to know. I have the old type and am having problems with VM speeds. Wouldn't mind getting rid of some of the boxes and wires in my sitting room either. T

Bad signal for much of this week. but still works.