Briefing Documents on the Bill

The Observer recently featured an article about the role of the Medical Royal Colleges in halting the passage of the Health and Social Care bill through Parliament. Opposition from the colleges is important as they are the professional bodies concerned with teaching, training, research and standards of care. They can’t be accused of self interested union behaviour.

Congratulations to all the members who have used this website to call upon their colleges to hold Emergency General Meetings (EGMs) to discuss opposition to the bill. Most colleges have either now come out against the bill or have EGMs planned in the near future.

Many people, including doctors and other health professionals, are still unclear about the bill and the likely consequences if it is passed. We have therefore put together a briefing document for the general public and hope it will also be useful for those doctors attending forthcoming EGMs of their college to debate the bill. You can find it here. Please feel free to use it and distribute it far and wide.

We would also like to direct you to some useful documents and articles to update you on the Bill and its impact on the NHS and our patients. This picture shows just how many groups are opposed to the Bill - and those who seem to be in favour - well worth a look! There was also a longer article in the Lancet detailing some of the major concerns from the well respected academic Professor Allyson Pollock.

Senior Liberal Democrats (and former doctors!) are now voicing many concerns over the Bill. Indeed Lord Owen has written a very insightful article here.

We heard some time ago from our Prime Minister making a statement that every NHS staff member welcomed at the time - but it hasn't somehow come about...

There are worrying implications for GP commissioners working under the Health and Social Care Bill. The legal implications are vast. This is an excellent paper to update you on the issues.

Update

The Royal College of Physicians (London) have now decided to ballot all their members on their views on the Bill and in another vote decided to oppose the Bill which is a significant move for such a large body representing hospital physicians.

We also see the organisation representing doctors who look after older people - the British Geriatrics Society - withdraw support for the Bill now. It is difficult to find any organisation that now supports this Bill.

Many thanks again for your support and please keep your eye on this website for more updates soon.

                                   

Paediatricians now oppose the Bill

This week we saw the RCPCH come out in full opposition to the Bill. This is a very significant event and is yet more evidence of the wide scale opposition to the coalition Health Bill.

The Royal College of Physicians (London) meets on Monday 27th February to discuss their position on the Bill and we are urging any MRCP/FRCP doctor who has not completed our survey on the Bill to do so now via this link.

It is clear there is concern at the very heart of government over this Bill - there is clear evidence here.

If you haven't yet completed our survey to lobby your own College then please do so here.

We will keep you updated about the latest developments as soon as they come through.

Who was there and who wasn't?

The Downing St Health Summit 'tea party' came and went and some people turned up and some people weren't invited. Mr Lansley had some difficulty getting through the crowds who were opposing the Bill.  Who was on the invite list and who wasn't? We have compiled the list below for your persual.


Against the Bill - not invited

Brtitish Medical Association
Royal College of GPs
Royal College of Midwives
Royal College of Nursing
Chartered Society of Physiotherapists
Royal College of Pathologists
Royal College of Radiologists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Unite
Unison


Undecided - invited to the summit

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Royal College of Physicians (London)
Royal College of Surgeons (England)
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists


In favour of the Bill - invited to the summit

National Association of Primary Care
NHS Alliance
Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations
Family Doctors Association


If you are a Royal College Member or Fellow and haven't done so already then please complete our survey here - LobbyYourCollege

Meanwhile we are soon expecting further news with respect to another major Royal College to call an EGM due to survey responders on our website - watch this space.

Many thanks once more for your support.

The Downing St Health Summit And What The Medical Profession Should Do Now

We have seen a new development in the Health Bill saga with the Prime Minister calling an Emergency Health Summit at Downing St to discuss 'implementing the Bill' in a few days time. Soon after the announcement it became clear that most of the key players in the NHS have not been invited. These include the RCGP, BMA, Royal College of Radiologists, the RCN and possibly others – all those who have spoken out publicly about how the Bill will damage the NHS irrevocably.

This hurriedly arranged meeting smacks of a coalition government in panic mode and an attempt to divide the medical profession. It is a desperate last minute attempt to seek support from some sectors of the medical profession and push through this unwanted Health Bill come what may. This is a political manoeuvre and shows quite blatantly what happens if you stand up for your beliefs and speak out against an ill thought out government policy.

It is vital that the medical profession shows solidarity in the face of this attempt to divide and rule. An umbrella organisation - the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges - oversees the interests of all Medical Royal Colleges. They should, along with individual Medical Royal Colleges speak out and boycott this Summit and stand together as a profession. We should say 'NO – we do not agree with your Bill and we do not want to play political games with you'. 

Doctors want to protect the NHS and are the genuine voice for our patients. 

If you are a member of a Medical Royal College please send two quick emails - one to your own College President and also one to the Chairman of the Academy, Professor Sir Neil Douglas suggesting they should publicly call for all Medical Royal Colleges to boycott this Summit. This will send a clear message that we will not partake in a blatant attempt to divide the medical profession and push through an unwanted and damaging Health Bill.

Here are the email addresses to click and send a message calling on the Academy and your College.

Academy of Medical Colleges      neil.douglas@aomrc.org.uk    Chair - Professor Sir Neil Douglas

Royal College of Physicians         Richard.Thompson@rcplondon.ac.uk  - President 
Royal College of Surgeons           abennett@rcseng.ac.uk  - chief executive Mr A Bennett
                                                                   n.s.williams@qmul.ac.uk - President Prof Norman Williams
Royal College of GPs                  president@rcgp.org.uk
Royal College of Radiologists       president@rcr.ac.uk
Royal College of O&G                 president@rcog.org.uk
Royal College of Psychiatrists     reception@rcpsych.ac.uk
Royal College of Paediatrics        t.stephenson@ucl.ac.uk - President Prof Stephenson
Royal College of Pathologists      president@rcpath.org
Royal College of Anaesthetists    president@rcoa.ac.uk 
Faculty of Public Health              president@fph.org.uk
College of Emergency Medicine  mc.prescem@gmail.com  President - Mr Mike Clancy
Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Health President -   dhalfnight@fsrh.org 

Thank you for your support.

More Royal College Opposition to the Bill

Today has seen another Royal College come out in opposition to the Health Bill - the Royal College of Radiologists.

At a Special Meeting today the RCR voted overwhelmingly to oppose the coalition Health and Social Care Bill.

The Royal College of Surgeons (England) today announced they would hold a Special Meeting to allow their Fellows to debate the Health Bill which is a great step forward.

We would ask you to continue to Lobby Your own College via this link.

We will also be setting up specific surveys prior to each EGM asking members of those Colleges whether they wish their College to support or oppose the Bill. This helps to inform the meeting itself.

We continue to ask paediatricians to complete our survey as their College require 600 members in order for a special meeting to be called. Quite a hill to climb but if you know a paediatrician then please ask them to complete the survey.

Many thanks for your support.

The Pressure Continues

Once again - many thanks for the superb response we have had to this website and also our lobbying website.

We have been stunned by the number of doctors seeking to lobby their Medical Royal College to call for a special meeting. Our website has been Tweeted and promoted on many other websites - thank you.

If you are a doctor and haven't already done so then please do visit our site where you can lobby your college for a special meeting

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LobbyYourCollege

The Royal Colleges are taking action after their members have called for special meetings.

We already have Extraordinary General Meetings announced for

FPH        28th January
RCR       16th February
RCP       27th February
RCOG     9th March

We also expect significant news soon from other Colleges - watch this space!

You can watch the speech given by Dr David McCoy at the Faculty of Public Health special meeting on the Health Bill here. We think it is rather a good speech. This meeting formally brought the FPH into opposition against the Health Bill after calling a meeting to debate their position on the Health Bill.

There is more trouble for the Health Bill in recent days with many more people and organisations coming out in opposition. Indeed even the LibDems are now split down the middle with one part opposing the Bill - click here.

If you are a Radiologist then your College is having a special meeting to debate the Health Bill - we are seeking your view on the withdrawal of the Bill here.

And if you are a Paediatrician then we are seeking your views on withdrawal of the Health Bill here.

We must fight with all our strength to stop the Health Bill. Even Stephen Fry agrees with us.

And finally do complete this e-petition calling for Parliament to debate dropping the Bill.

It's all to play for

There have been enormous developments in the past week with respect to opposition to the Health Bill. We now see the RCGP opposing the Bill along with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists announcing their oppposition.

The pressure is mounting on the coalition to withdraw this ill thought out and unwanted Bill.
However some Medical Royal Colleges continue to feel the Bill is absolutely necessary to improve the NHS - we do not believe this is so. The reasons for this can be found here.
We have heard that some doctors feel reluctant to publicise their name calling on their College to have a special meeting. Some Colleges also require huge numbers to call for such a meeting - RCPCH for example need 600 members. We feel it is hugely important to ask our Colleges to speak out and if the College membership oppose the Bill then the College leadership must speak in opposition too. Here are some more details on some of the College antics going on. The Royal College of Radiologists have called a special meeting to debate the Bill. The RCP (London) have called a special EGM and it is hoped Members and Fellows will have their opportunity to speak out and form policy at that meeting. The RCGP have come out in full opposition (the only College to fully oppose up to now).

So we have decided to try and use SurveyMonkey to allow you to anonymously add your name to the growing list of names calling for a special Health Bill meeting. Your name will not be publicised but we will ask your permission in the survey to send it on to your College.
Please do pass on details to your professional colleagues and ask them to complete the very short survey - it could make a huge difference.

We will also need doctors willing to attend the meeting and speak about the Health Bill so please leave your email address on the survey.

Many thanks again for all your support.

Here is the link for you to complete the survey (please note the RCGP is not included in the survey as they have now come out formally in opposition to the Bill)


https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LobbyYourCollege



Here are some further links to the current College positions on the Bill
RCP (London), RCS (England), RCPCH, RCOG, RCPsych, RCoA, RCPath, College of Emergency Medicine (nil found on website)