Dracula hard at work but NHS is not dead yet

[Dr Louise Irvine]

38 Degrees Logo


Dear All

My name is Dr Louise Irvine. I've been a GP for 27 years, and a 38 
Degrees member for the last two. Last night, I spoke at our 
patient-sponsored event with some of the senior GPs who have been put 
in charge of deciding the future of local health services.

Together, more than 22,000 38 Degrees members sponsored the event. 
Thank you so much for being part of it. It was really quite 
something. And not just because plenty of senior GPs turned up, 
despite already having spent all day being schmoozed by private 
healthcare companies.

The event last night helped convince me that although we didn't 
manage to stop Lansley getting his NHS changes through parliament, 
there is still lots we can do to protect our NHS. Those "RIP NHS" 
headlines were premature. I think the NHS is now like someone with a 
chronic illness: if we don't look after it, bits might start falling 
off. But right now, the NHS is a living body, and one we're all part of.

I heard senior GPs say how glad they were that 38 Degrees members 
want to continue to campaign to protect the NHS. They responded 
positively to 38 Degrees members' campaign ideas, and many said they 
were willing to work with us. I heard speaker after speaker say it's 
never been more important for citizens to get involved and make 
themselves heard.

We know we can make a difference. Now we need to decide together what 
our priorities are. The 38 Degrees office team have just launched a 
poll to give all us members a say. I've just voted on my favourite 
ideas - can you take a couple of minutes to do the same?
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/46740516/820862205/VEsH/>https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-poll-april

I'm lucky. As a GP I see every day how important the NHS is and the 
difference it can make to people's lives. So I've never doubted that 
the best future for our health service is a people-powered one.

Being involved with the 38 Degrees campaign to Save the NHS showed me 
how many of us know that our health service is precious and worth 
protecting. Like most of us, when the government pushed ahead with 
its plans and ignored our concerns, I felt sad and worried.

But the response from 38 Degrees members since the law was passed has 
been incredible. Ideas have poured in for ways to continue to support 
the NHS. The office team has worked through those ideas, and asked 
NHS experts for their advice on what could work. Now we have a chance 
to decide which ones to prioritise in the weeks and months ahead.

Like you, I've donated, signed petitions, and emailed my MP. I saw 
the effect of our huge billboard campaign and the thousands of 
letters and emails we sent to MPs and Lords. I know we're at our most 
powerful when we get together to set priorities, plan, and make things happen.

So please get involved in setting 38 Degrees' priorities for the next 
stage of the campaign - vote now:
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/46740516/820862205/VEsE/>https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-poll-april


Thanks for being involved,

Dr Louise Irvine

PS: If you'd like to see more about what happened at the event last 
night, click here: 
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/46740517/820862205/VEsF/>https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-event-as-it-happened

PPS: The 38 Degrees team have sent this email from their system, so 
they haven't shared your email address or any of your personal details with me.

For more information:
NHS event: a message from the sponsors: 
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/46740510/820862205/VEsC/>https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-message-from-sponsors
NHS: they were expecting pickets but they got cupcakes: 
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/46740511/820862205/VEsD/>https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-event-cupcake-picket
NHS event as it happened: 
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/46740517/820862205/VEsA/>https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-event-as-it-happened
NHS: bad news: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-bad-news
NHS: what we did and what it means: 
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/46740513/820862205/VEsO/>https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-roundup 

David Davis MP discusses 38 Degrees campaigning at 1hr 37mins in the 
clip: 
<http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0570b/2d50e47d/5c8de142/4674050c/820862205/VEsP/>http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21960203

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