“Drop the Health Bill”

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 14 Feb 2012, 19:46

“Drop the Health Bill”

Responsible department: Department of Health

“Calls on the Government to drop its Health and Social Care Bill.”

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22670

I think this may be the fastest growing petition - it reached 100000 a few minutes ago, just a short while after its launch.

energy-village · Post by **energy-village** » 14 Feb 2012, 19:59

Done!

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 14 Feb 2012, 20:41

I've a feeling I signed this a while ago and put it up on my fb page...or did the same chap have a previous, different, health-bill-related petition?

SleeperService · Post by **SleeperService** » 14 Feb 2012, 21:45

Done!

105 thousand now.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 14 Feb 2012, 22:20

From now on I am going to refer to the "health" bill as the "dead donkey"

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 15 Feb 2012, 15:38

Up to 122,000 now - about 20,000 in one day.

Starting to get some media coverage, so we might see another surge of
signers.

Norm · Post by **Norm** » 15 Feb 2012, 15:55

It allowed me to sign even though I am not resident in UK.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 15 Feb 2012, 16:21

Norm wrote:It allowed me to sign even though I am not resident in UK.

But you're a, errm, "citizen" aren't you?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 15 Feb 2012, 19:28

Norm wrote:It allowed me to sign even though I am not resident in UK.

The system doesn't know that but you did have to check the terms and conditions box.

energy-village · Post by **energy-village** » 15 Feb 2012, 20:02

126,239.

Wasn't it only started this week? If it had been necessary - and with a bit of a push - I think 500,000 would have been easily possible.

Did the job though. We should get this message soon:

This e-petition has reached 100,000 signatures. The Government has notified the Backbench Business Committee in the House of Commons who will consider its suitability for debate when Parliament returns in September.

Some words on the e-petition from Labour.

But shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said the petition's signatories had 'sent a very clear message' that the Government should scrap the bill. 'They want him to listen and stop putting his political pride before the best interests of the NHS,' he said. 'Mr Cameron wants to legislate to turn our NHS into a free market. He is being reminded in no uncertain terms that he does not have the public's permission to do this. 'Nobody voted for this reorganisation and Mr Cameron promised it would not happen.' ...

'The 'Drop the Bill' call is turning into a deafening cry supported by patients, professions and even members of Mr Cameron's Cabinet. It is a fight we can and must win.' Downing Street yesterday dismissed suggestions that Mr Lansley should be sacked and insisted ministers were 'fully behind' his NHS reforms.

Mr Cameron is to launch a new offensive to sell the bill to the public. He said at the weekend he was 'at one' with Mr Lansley and the legislation amid signs of deep unease with the bill among Tory Cabinet ministers and even Number 10 insiders.

Labour said today that internal NHS risk reports warned of lower levels of safety and patient care under the proposed reforms.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ition.html

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 17 Feb 2012, 17:16

Are you telling me that even the Daily Mail have come out against it??

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Feb 2012, 17:36

Oh dear, we seem to be living in interesting times.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 17 Feb 2012, 17:43

Question from the peanut gallery. How much will your taxes have to go up to keep the current system solvent or I suppose more correctly return it to solvency?

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 17 Feb 2012, 18:34

A very good question and one that can be answered firstly by reference to the large proportion of (very handsomely paid) "managers" who have recently materialised in the NHS, where previously it was run well by very few non-clinical staff. Secondly, the previous government (or possibly the Tories before that, can't remember) introduced an "internal market" into the NHS. This means several bunches of people have to "tender" for each job done within the organisation (e.g. cleaning, making food, various aspects of medical care, provision of nurses via temp agencies etc).

This sounds like a good idea, unless you've ever worked in the type of firm that gets its work by "tendering". What happens is, said firm tenders for, say, 10 projects and only gets one. But it's spent a lot of highly-paid people's time preparing these nine non-rewarding tenders..how's it going to get its money back?.. answer it bumps-up the price of the work on the 10th. Everybody does it.

Having it all done in-house is not only cheaper, it also preserves expertise. I could go on...

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Feb 2012, 19:36

How much will your taxes have to go up to keep the current system solvent is probably the wrong question.