The Save the NHS petition is growing fast. Over 110,000 of us have signed in less than a week. That makes it the fastest-growing 38 Degrees petition ever!
We know that the government’s plans for the NHS are a serious threat – that’s why so many of us have joined in. Local health services would be broken up, and private companies brought in. [1] Andrew Lansley, the health minister, wants to rush the plans through. But if we work together, we can stop him.
On Friday, 38 Degrees members will start visiting key MPs at their local constituency surgeries. These are politicians with the power to challenge the plans now, because they’re on the Health Bill committee. [2] We want to hand them the biggest petition they’ve ever seen. Please add your name in time for the first petition deliveries this Friday: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/NHS-petition
Yesterday, the main group representing doctors, the British Medical Association, said the plans were “dangerous” and called on the government to withdraw them. [3] Last weekend even Lib Dem party members voted to tell Nick Clegg thegovernment’s plans are “damaging and unjustified”. [4]
It’s not hard to see why so many of us have signed the Save the NHS petition. Sooner or later, we all rely on our NHS. It’s not perfect, but it is worth protecting. Doctors, health experts and charities are all saying our NHS is in grave danger. [5] That’s why 38 Degrees members voted to do all we can to protect it. Please join in and add to the pressure:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/NHS-petition
We know a big response from 38 Degrees members can help stop these plans. On Monday, the Independent newspaper said, ”The campaign group 38 Degrees – which was instrumental in forcing the Government to drop its plans to sell off parts of Britain’s forests – collected more than 80,000 signatures against the plans over the weekend.” [6] Suddenly, all the work we did together to save the forests feels like a bit of a warm up!
When we hand in our petition, we’ll also hand in copies of another one organised by the website SaveOurNHS.org. This campaign is a team effort. People power helped build the NHS in the first place. People power has saved it from threats in the past. So, as 38 Degrees members get ready to hand in the petition to key MPs, let’s all add our names and make sure it’s huge. Please join the 110,000 of us who’ve already signed, and help it to reach 200,000 names: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/NHS-petition
Thanks for being involved,
David, Hannah, Johnny and the 38 Degrees team
PS: On Sunday, 38 Degrees members will be getting together in woodlands across the country. It’s a great chance to get out into local woodland and meet other 38 Degrees members. There’ll be walks, picnics and the weather’s looking good too! Click here to find one near you: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/celebrate-our-forests
PPS: Many 38 Degrees members have been in touch expressing their horror at events in Japan, and asking if there’s anything 38 Degrees could be doing to help. We’ve put together some information and links to organisations who are active on the ground here: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/?p=3281
NOTES:
[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/healthcare-network/2011/feb/25/david-nicholson-companies-mergers-nhs-hospitals
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2011/jan/04/andrew-lansley-nhs-reform-unrecognisable
[2] Right now, government plans are being debated by the Health Bill scrutiny committee of MPs. That makes the 26 MPs on the committee, and particularly the 3 Lib Dem and 11 conservative members, a key target for our campaign. If they start feeling the heat on their own doorsteps, it will be a powerful signal that the government needs to rethink. http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/healthandsocialcare.html
[3] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12737206
[4] http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/13/nhs-reforms-overhaul-liberal-democrats
[5] http://www.channel4.com/news/nhs-reforms-criticised-by-health-charities
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/15/bma-meeting-rejects-nhs-reforms
[6] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coalition-may-backtrack-on-nhs-reform-plans-2240977.html
