A coalition to defend #ourNHS

Sussex Defend the NHS

Workers Campaigners Communities Together

For immediate release
19th May 2016

Local health services: more devastation to come
Complete re-organisation of health service on its way



Remember when David Cameron promised ‘no top-down re-organisation of the NHS’? All that was made completely untrue by the present government’s 2012 Health & Social Care Act. In Brighton & Hove since then we’ve seen the effects of the break-up and sell-off of our health services from Substance Misuse to Patient Transport Services, GP surgeries to Audiology.

Now, the ‘national’ is finally to be struck from what’s left of our health services as the government implement the next stage of their privatising plans. These are Sustainability and Transformation Plans being stealthily drawn up in new regions around the country. Brighton & Hove comes under Sussex and East Surrey STP along with West Sussex Coastal and the other CCGs covering the whole of the two counties.

In his presentation to West Sussex Health & Wellbeing Board’s last meeting, Michael Wilson, the Chair of the new STP group drawing up our Plan, exposed the massive £580m shortfall that they are going to have to ‘balance’ in order to achieve the targets set by the government. On Tuesday next week, 24th, Brighton & Hove CCG Governing Body will be discussing the same framework. If the commissioners collude with this plan, they will be enforcing even more devastating cuts to our health and social services across the city. And only a few people know about the steamrollering of these plans.

Madeleine Dickens of Sussex Defend the NHS and campaign groups in West Sussex have written to Michael Wilson demanding clear democratic involvement in this planning saying, ‘Such massive change with such far-reaching negative consequences cannot be ushered in “on the quiet” in the hope no-one will notice as the government, NHS England and all those doing their bidding appear to intend. We, the public need to know and very quickly what STP truly represents and the long-term consequences in all our and our children’s lives.’

Sussex Defend the NHS are organising a sustained campaign to publicise and expose the Sustainability and Transformation Plan development. There will be a demonstration outside Tuesday’s CCG Governing Body meeting from 1230 at the Brighthelm Centre in North Road Brighton. Everyone is urged to come along to make some noise. Sussex Defend campaigners will be asking some challenging questions of the commissioners about the impact of these NHS break-up plans.

The campaign is part of a nation-wide network of campaigns against STP. 38 Degrees have set up an online petition against this break-up and sell-off of the NHS which you can sign here:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-plans-to-dismantle-our-nhs

Sussex Defend the NHS can be contacted at:
defendthenhs@gmail.com
http://defendthenhssussex.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/SussexDefendTheNHS

Finally, early alert to Sussex Defend the NHS’ next Public Meeting, Our NHS ... Going, going .... Thursday June 30th 7pm with national speakers and campaign planning. Details shortly.

Join the demonstration at The Brighthelm Centre outside the CCG Governing Body meeting on Tuesday 24th @ 1230.

For more information and interviews contact Katrina Miller mob 0775 238 0093
Madeleine Dickens mob 07875 892 580
Jan Birtwell Coastal West Sussex 38 degrees NHS Group 07565348647



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