Dear All,
We’ve decided! Over 10,000 suggestions. Over 100,000 votes. And one, overwhelming, urgent priority: save our NHS. [1]
Right now, the government is trying to rush through changes to our health service which could spell the end of the NHS as we know it: services broken up and private healthcare companies brought in. Meanwhile, a funding squeeze means wards are closing and doctors and nurses are being laid off. [2] Together, we can stop this and save our health service for future generations. We proved that a huge petition can help make the government back down – that’s how we started to turn the tide to save England’s forests. Now, we need to do the same again to save our NHS. Click here to add your name to the petition: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
We’ll be delivering the first batch of our petition to key coalition MPs next week – let’s make sure it’s huge!
Just like with the forest sell-off, no one voted for wards to be closed and private companies to be brought in. During the election, David Cameron kept telling us that the NHS was “safe in his hands”. [2] But now, the government is pushing throughextreme changes relying on support from right-wing hardliners and private health companies. [3]
Every one of us has been touched by the NHS. It’s there at the start and end of most of our lives. It’s something we can rely on to care for us and the people we love. It isn’t perfect, but it is worth standing up for – and now, we need to stand up for it, or we could lose it forever. Help save the NHS by adding your name to the petition now: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
38 Degrees members know that when we work together we can change what politicians do. We’ve decided which issues we want to work on together. In the next few weeks, there will be lots of chances to turn up the pressure on many of them, like tax dodging, Disability Living Allowance, banks or human trafficking.
But today, the NHS is not only our highest priority, it’s also facing the most urgent threat. That’s why we need to build a huge petition in the next few days, ready to deliver to MPs before the government’s plans go any further. Click here to sign the petition, and help save our NHS: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
Thanks for being involved,
David, Hannah, Johnny and the 38 Degrees team
PS: Whilst we need to get going on the NHS, it’s important that we celebrate all we achieved with the “Save Our Forests” campaign. On Sunday 20th March, there will be “Celebrate our forests” walks and picnics across the country. Can you come along? Click here to find your nearest event: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/celebrate-our-forests
NOTES:
[1] Over 84% of 38 Degrees members said we should campaign on the NHS “A lot”. Read in more detail about the survey results here:http://www.38degrees.org.uk/what-we-decided
[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/6932043/David-Cameron-Tories-are-the-party-of-the-NHS.html
[3] Cuts to NHS services are already happening across the country. East Lancashire Hospital could lose over 1,000 jobs, and over 6,000 posts are at risk across the 53 mental health trusts. Barts and the London NHS Trust could lose 600 posts. Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust could lose over 500 jobs. Other NHS services at risk include Wirral Hospital, which is cutting 682 jobs, and Royal Devon and Exeter is planning to shed over 1,000 jobs. Read more athttp://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/23/nhs-to-lose-50000-jobs
[4] http://www.spinwatch.org.uk/blogs-mainmenu-29
