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North Staffs NHS-SOS Needs Your Help!

Phil Burton-Cartledge, Secretary North Staffs NHS-SOS | 06.04.2006 09:40 | Health | Birmingham

Upcoming events in the campaign against jobs cuts at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

Dear All

On Monday 10th April the city council's scrutiny commission will be meeting at 12:30pm in the Civic Centre in Stoke. This body has the power to delay the proposed cuts at University Hospital for a number of months as a full review of the new plan is carried out. At the end of this process it will make a recommendation to the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, who must then make the final decision.

North Staffs NHS-SOS is mobilising to lobby this event.

ASSEMBLE: 12:00 pm, Monday 10th April, Kingsway Entrance, Civic Centre, Stoke.

WHY YOU SHOULD COME
There are two main reasons why it's important as many people lobby the scrutiny commission as possible.

First, the committee needs to hear from staff, patients, and concerned members of the public. Because a vote has to be taken as to whether the commission hears these voices, a good turnout will influence councillors to vote in our favour.

Second, this meeting will vote on whether an investigation should take place. It seems likely a number of councillors will not want this to happen. A public gallery full of NHS-SOS supporters might jog their memory that local elections are just around the corner.

So if you have the time, please attend the lobby. Every new voice raised against the cuts will make the campaign stronger.

NATIONAL MARCH AGAINST THE NHS JOB CUTS
According to Unison, so far 6,784 job losses have been announced by NHS trusts up and down the country. A further 1,200 posts will go from NHS Direct. North Staffs NHS-SOS have organised a march for Saturday April 29th from University Hospital to Hanley (route to be confirmed by the police). Billed by Central News as a national demonstration, North Staffs NHS-SOS are campaigning to get as big a local and national turn out as possible. If you are involved in a trade union, community campaign, political party, or activist network, or just want to get involved we want to hear from you! Volunteers needed for leafleting, petitioning, etc.! Phone 01782 213157 or email this address for more details.

NHS-SOS MEETING
The campaign group next meets at 7pm on Tuesday 11th April in the Coachmakers Arms, Hanley. All welcome.

Best,
Phil Burton-Cartledge
Secretary, North Staffs NHS-SOS

Phil Burton-Cartledge, Secretary North Staffs NHS-SOS
- e-mail: phil.b-c@lycos.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.nhssos.org.uk (yet to be uploaded)

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

good stuff!

06.04.2006 13:36

good luck with the campaign, btw, there is now an embryonic national campaign to save the NHS

 http://www.keepournhspublic.com/index.php

patient


The Campaigning Goes On

19.04.2006 10:40

The website -  http://www.nhssos.org.uk - is now live. You can download posters, leaflets and petitions to help the campaign. There is information about the next meeting, and details of the march and rally on Saturday 29th April.

The Scrutiny Committee that Phil spoke of in the article was a white-wash, with the leader, Cllr. Bamford, refusing to take contributions from the staff from the hospital who had attended specifically to be able to put their evidence to the committee.

This means our campaign is even more important now, as we cannot rely on our local council to back us. It is down to the people of Staffordshire to fight tooth and nail to ensure lives are not lost, patient care is not compromised, and valuable staff are not shelved.

We need YOUR help. Please contact us at  info@nhssos.org.uk if you can help in distributing leaflets and help collect names on petitions, and if you would like to help with the march on the 29th. And of course, the campaigning will not end with the march - we will continue to fight, and will need public support to make sure our concerns are heard.

Cat Burton-Cartledge
mail e-mail: info@nhssos.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.nhssos.org.uk