Is it futile to hope the Tories will protect the socialist principles of the NHS?

38 Degrees members deliver a petition of over 410,000 names to the NHS. Their message: Save Our NHS

By Lucette Davies

Somebody recently commented on the fact that I have so often written about issues concerning the NHS on this blog.  They seemed a little surprised that I could feel so strongly about the rights and wrongs of various government policies regarding healthcare.  To me this in itself was surprising as we are all susceptible to ill health.  Disease does not discriminate between different political affiliations or different income brackets and nobody is immune.  So why on earth are more people not expressing their concern for our NHS  that is itself obviously in poor health?

The NHS and the choices we will have this May

By Lucette Davies

My previous blog post has attempted to explain why I believe that the future of our NHS service should be considered very carefully by everyone as they go into polling booths on the 7th May.

I wanted to write this post,  so as to try and give voters who share my concerns a brief run down on how our choices that we make when voting this May will influence health policy.

History alone gives us every reason to fight to protect our NHS

By Lucette Davies

Image by Paul Townsend (view license details)

The National Health Service is still one of the best healthcare systems in the world and something that this country should cherish dearly, this post will explain why.

At midnight on 4 July 1948 the UK became the first in the world to provide completely free healthcare solely  on the basis of citizenship.  Launched by the Labour Party amid a backdrop of furious opposition from consultants, doctors and the Conservative Party it was not long before anyone could doubt its success.

Why are NHS campaigners getting angry about EU-US trade agreements?

By Lucette Davies

The 12th July will be a national day of action where groups around the country will be campaigning against the EU-US trade agreement that is currently being discussed in Brussels.

The transatlantic trade and investment partnership, or TTIP, is getting many NHS campaigners worried.

This post will look at why so many people feel that TTIP may threaten the NHS and who the people are who are supporting this agreement.

 

 

How has the NHS changed since 2010?

By Lucette Davies

It would be hard to have missed seeing any of the news items that have featured the NHS over the last year.  Much of this news has been about poor patient care, poor management, NHS trusts in debt, hospital closures and public protests.  Our NHS service was a cherished public institution so what has changed and why?