National Groups
Abolish Prescription Charges
Launched by Swindon Trades Union Council, the campaign seeks to reverse the 1951 "short term" measure introducing prescription charges. While charges have been abolished in Wales, are in the process of abolition in Scotland and are under review in Northern Ireland, they remain resolutely in force in England.
Website: http://abolishprescriptioncharges.wordpress.com/
Alliance for Lobbying Transparency
ALT is a coalition of civil society groups concerned about the influence of lobbyists on policy making in the UK. Public trust in the political process can only be rebuilt with true democratic accountability. A mandatory register of lobbyists is one of ALT's key aims.
Website: http://www.lobbyingtransparency.org/
Keep Our NHS Public
Launched in October 2005, Keep Our NHS Public's founding organisations included the NHS Support Federation, the NHS Consultants' Association and Health Emergency.
With support from pensioners' associations, unions (both nationally and at branch level), the Junior Doctors' Committee of the British Medical Association, the TUC and many others, both groups and individuals, the campaign continues to grow as the consequences of the government's privatisation policies become ever clearer.
See the KONP launch statement.
Chair: Wendy Savage wdsavage@doctors.org.uk
Website: http://www.keepournhspublic.com/
Health Emergency
Founded in the autumn of 1983, London Health Emergency is the country's biggest and longest-running pressure group in defence of the NHS. With over 150 trade union bodies, campaigns and community organisations affiliated at local, regional and national level, and many more subscribers, it issues a quarterly tabloid newspaper Health Emergency which has a print run of 7,000 and a distribution reaching many parts of England, Scotland and Wales. Health Emergency carries news and comment on the full range of health service policy issues, with a special focus on acute hospital services, mental health services, care of the elderly, and the impact of the government's marketising reforms.
Contact: feedback@healthemergency.org.uk
Website: http://www.healthemergency.org.uk/
NHS Consultants' Association
Formed in 1976 by consultants with strong commitment to the NHS and its founding principles, NHSCA believes in planning and cooperation rather than market forces and competition. It functions as a nationwide pressure group covering all specialities and aims to present the facts and arguments to the public and the profession using national and local media. By putting its views to politicians of all parties and other organisations concerned with health, and working with any group that shares its objectives, it differs from other medical organisations which primarily represent staff interests. It is not party-political.
Contact: nhsca@pop3.poptel.org.uk
Website: http://www.nhsca.org.uk/
National Association of LINks Members (NALM)
Launched in April 2008, NALM is a national member-led organisation working with health campaigners across the country to build Local Involvement Networks (LINks), the replacement for Patient and Public Involvement Forums.
NALM will campaign for effective patient and public involvement, and greater democracy in health and social care services.
Contact: Malcolm Alexander, maiexa49@aol.com, tel. 020 8809 6551
Website: http://www.networks.nhs.uk/networks/page/1177
Oxywalk
The privatisation of the oxygen service has impacted upon people's health. A personal campaign has opened up a wider campaign, details of which can be seen on the campaign website.
Oxywalk has lobbied health select committee members and is in communication with a number of MPs. The campaign continues to hear from patients about their problems with the oxygen service. Portable oxygen is now efectively subject to rationing.
Contact: Kathy Dobbin - kathy@oxywalk.org
Website: http://www.oxywalk.org/
Peoples Health Movement
PHM is a global network of individuals, NGOs and CSOs that is strongly committed to the role of the state in the provision of healthcare and is fundamentally opposed to the commercialisation of healthcare systems. PHM has its roots deep in the grassroots people's movement and owes its genesis to many health networks and activists who have been concerned by the growing inequities in health over the last 25 years.
Contact: secretariat@phmovement.org
Website: http://www.phmovement.org/en/about
People United Saving Hospitals (PUSH)
Founded to ensure countrywide free flow of information and to organise national campaign events, PUSH aims to create a united front to protect our beleaguered hospital services.Originally set up in Nuneaton to campaign against threats to the George Eliot Hospital, PUSH now represents various NHS campaign groups from as far afield as Chichester and Kendal. The group works with other campaigners such as People's Protest Group Nuneaton, Coventry & Warwickshire NHS-SOS, Leicester KONHSP, Reditch Keep The Alex, Hinckley Pensioners Group, Kendal NHS & Sane, Royal West Sussex and Keep The Horton General in Banbury.
Contact: Vannessa Gee - vanesgee@googlemail.com
Remedy UK
Remedy UK is a movement of hospital doctors which has lost complete confidence in the implementation of training reform and in employment strategy in the NHS. The organisation aims to reclaim strength in voice and in action which has been lacking in recent years. Local reps are being recruited across the UK to spread the message and recruit doctors to the cause. Meetings with MPs are being pursued and an Early Day Motion is being tabled in order to encourage a Parliamentary debate. Weekly press releases are being issued to increase media interest. The movement also forges links with other doctors' groups.
Marches in London and Glasgow in March 2007 attracted 12,000 participants. Many more campaigning events are planned - see the website below for details.
Contact: contact@remedyuk.org
Website: http://www.remedyuk.org/
Save Our Blood Service
Campaigning against the reconfiguration plans of the National Blood Service, which will cut the number of local blood service centres from 10 to three, lead to a dangerously reduced service and cause hundreds of redundancies.
Following a review of the restructuring strategy and the outcry from hospitals, staff and the public, the board has been forced to scrap the idea of supercentres in the north and south-east. The Newcastle centre is now to remain fully open, and Sheffield will also keep many more functions. But the axe still hangs over essential labs at centres across the country and the campaign continues to reverse a potentially disastrous strategy.
Contact: iww.nbs@googlemail.com
Website: http://nbs-sos.blogspot.com/
Message board: http://www.bloodservicechat.org.uk
While the message board is intended for all NHS Blood and Transplant staff, friends and supporters, donors, patients, other healthworkers etc are all welcome to join and post.
Save the MS Nurses
MSNurses.co.uk is a website put together by a team of four people (all with Multiple Sclerosis) to campaign to keep specialist MS nurses who are under threat in some PCTs as a result of the NHS funding crisis. The group has already handed in a petition to 10 Downing Street, and the fight goes on, with all help neede to keep up the momentum.
Contact: Mark Whitehouse - mark@msnurses.co.uk
Website: http://www.msnurses.co.uk/index.html
Save Our NHS Group
Initially focused on the campaign to keep services at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal, Save Our NHS Group is a political party advocating a truly national (rather than a fragmented) health service, an end to privatisation and alternatives to the "payment by results" funding method currently used by the government.
The group has fielded candidates in English local elections and plans to stand in the next European elections.
Contact: Cllr Charles Batteson - nhs@sane.co.uk, 01539 724480 or 0771 745 6021
Website: http://www.saveournhs.moonfruit.com/
Socialist Health Association
Affiliated to the Labour Party, the SHA is an active campaigning organisation promoting health and wellbeing, social justice, and the eradication of inequalities through the application of socialist principles to society and government. SHA identifies seven guidelines for action:
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Prevention as well as treatment - investment in prevention of disease as well as on treatment
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Wider determinants as well as healthcare - recognition that the wider determinants such as income, education and employment are as important in promoting the nation's health as healthcare
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Internationalism - recognition of the UK's international obligations to developing nations in respect of trade agreements and the importation of scarce healthcare personnel
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Solidarity - working in close collaboration with other like minded bodies such as trade unions and the other socialist societies
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Localism - decision making as near as possible to where it will have impact and at community level wherever practicable
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An integrated, whole systems approach - health, social care and wellbeing services provided through partnership working as integrated packages tailored to the needs of user, not the convenience of providers
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Cooperative endeavour - a cooperative approach to the running of public, voluntary and private sector services with worker and user participation
Contact: admin@sochealth.co.uk
