London Branch SNP 13january15 NHS

The following are my rough notes. There was a lot I didn't understand and so I just wrote down a name for me to google later.
I have probably got hold of the wrong end of the stick at some points - let me know.
It might be good if we had an online space where those who were there could add corrections, explanations or comments.

The speaker was Allyson Pollock - Professor of Public Health ??
England is in process of abolishing the NHS. The 2012 Act removed the 'duty' to provide medical care. Now there are insurance based structures. In law, 'eligibility' comes into force - the authorities can pick and choose who gets help - and how much of it.
The 'duty to provide' has changed to a 'duty to promote' - Allyson demonstrated this with a packet of crisps and showed the difference.
Healthcare in England is modelled on US lines.  Simon Stevens who is now the NHS chief executive spent years working in the USA and is committed to that model.
Scotland and Wales still have the NHS but England doesn't
People are not aware that the 'stream' system is being dismantled (stream?)
The NHS as a public system of healthcare has been abolished. Jeremy Hunt is no longer in charge of the NHS.
www.nhsbill2015.org
is campaigning for reinstatement of the NHS as we knew it - to include the duty to provide medical care.
Andy Burnam
There is a duty to commission  which is a duty to contract . . .
A question about the effect on Scotland of the Trade Agreement between the USA and Europe
Pressure from TtiP is not as great as the pressure from England
Steven is committed to the USA model - big healthcare businesses

Good writers: Polly Toynbee and David Owen
The media don't show him though.
The narrative is that the NHS is failing due to too many obese people, too many sick people  and drinkers
Asked for evidence AP mentioned the McKinsey report and plans of hospital trusts
Why did the government return £3 1/2 million to the Treasury?
There has been a misallocation of resources

Specsavers for instance are promoting themselves as the authorised provider of audiology care but when/if anything goes wrong - they wash their hands of patients and send them back to the NHS
Hinchinbrook Hospital?
Geographical boundaries are used in emergency situations only now.
A question about Cronyism - look at http://www.spinwatch.org/
BMJ gave details of MPs' private health care links
Alan Milburn
www.keepournhspublic
http://www.nhsconfed.org/about-us/contact-us
enter your postcode and write to your MP asking for their position on reinstatement
Book :NHS for sale
upcoding ensures more money is received
Scotland has managed the same achievements without recourse to the private purse
Question: why does it all matter? Its about the distribution on money - where is it going and is healthcare going to be free at point of need.
There has been an enormous waste of money - something like £30 billion has been spent on  bankers, lawyers, accountants and administrators
Nye Bevan said the NHS will be there as long as people fight for it - but at the moment not enough people are fighting for it.
Question: who can reverse the trend? Its up to each one of us to join campaign groups
38degrees don't do the necessary campaigning but the keep our nhs public people do. The Green party support it.
Go to your CCG meetings.

New Year's Day

As a child in Scotland, Ne'erday was a nightmare! Especially the mornings
The adults were asleep - presumably they had been up till all hours celebrating, or possibly at a Watchnight Service. Us children had been allowed some watered down ginger wine and a shortbread with our next door neighbours, but we were in bed at the usual time, Hogmanay or not.
So the adults were asleep, our Christmas presents were no longer a novelty, outside nobody was stirring.
Although the New Year's Day concert from Vienna was started in 1941 I don't remember watching it before Willi Bovkovsky took over as conductor in 1955.
I have strong and unpleasant memories of being left totally to our own resources and devices.

This morning I had the same dread of the day - especially as I am just recovering from flu.
Then there was a ring at the doorbell - and everything changed!

Thanks, Menna, for that totally unexpected and very thoughtful present!

And what joy later on to get on the Overground and go to Westfield! even if all I did was to sit in Costa Coffee while Brian did the shopping