Category Archives: Health

Health, Politics

Shortest NHS waits since records began

I don’t normally post things that I get in my email, but I think this is a really important piece of news. There is a lot of bad news at the moment, but it’s things like this that show what politics and concerted effort can achieve.

Oh, and only my mother and labour party emails call me “Stephen”

Stephen,

Now and again, something comes along to make us all feel especially proud to be Labour supporters. I’m writing to let you know about one that’s happening right now.

This week, the NHS is celebrating the shortest waits since its records began – something that would have been unimaginable when our Party came to power 12 years ago.

Make no mistake, you are part of this achievement. None of this would have happened without the hard work of Labour Party supporters like yourself campaigning to make three general election victories possible.

Now, for the first time, in every part of the country, nobody has to wait more than 18 weeks for treatment after being referred by their GP, unless they choose to wait longer or there is a good medical reason. Most people wait less than 8 weeks.

Alan Johnson Video Image

Click here to watch the video


But, as is always true in politics, we must fight to keep our achievements safe. The Tories are committed to scrapping the waiting time guarantees that have made such a difference to people’s lives.

We can never allow this to happen and I’m asking you to watch the video above and consider donating to help us campaign to make sure that people across the country never again have to suffer the consequences of Tory cuts.

Click here to watch the video or donate.

Best Wishes

Alan

PS – Please also pass this email on to at least 5 of your friends to make sure they know what we’ve achieved and the risk posed by the Tories

To unsubscribe, please click here. Privacy: we won’t pass on your email address to anyone else. See http://www.labour.org.uk/privacy Reproduced from an email sent by the Labour Party, promoted by Ray Collins, General Secretary, the Labour Party, on behalf of the Labour Party, all at 39 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0HA

Health, Local Politics

West Lancs smoking ban

I’ve not written anything here about the West Lancs Council smoking ban that has been reported in the press recently. This is partly because it has yet to go to full council in December. That said, I did attend the cabinet meeting when it was discussed. Unfortunately, all that we mere-mortal non-cabinet-members can do is sit and listen, but it can be fascinating.

All the press coverage seems to have been about the report that was on the agenda, but on the night, Cllr Bailey introduced a number of amendments that drastically watered down the smoking policy. Where once there was to be no smoking at all on council premises, smoking outside the buildings would be permitted (just not “near” the doors, whatever that means).

There were other changes too, which meant that a radical non-smoking policy put forward by officers was trashed. Weirdly, it seems that the council then went on a media offensive pushing the story of the no smoking ban without reference to the u-turn on the night. Probably to spare the blushes of those who had trailed the policy as unique.

The ban that we have is no more radical than that announced by Welwyn Hatfield council back in 1998. It certainly isn’t unique. Since 2000, other councils have implemented such bans and West Lancs is now tagging along. Liverpool’s plans for a smoke-free city were way more radical, and in Scotland they actually got on and implemented it.

Of course, next year there will be a ban in England too, which will make this re-written policy in West Lancs irrelevant.