Proposed NHS cuts in North West London:

BREAKING: our people-powered investigation has uncovered Jeremy Hunt’s secret plans for our NHS. [1] So far, these plans - drawn up for every single area across England - have been kept under wraps. That changes today. Here's what our investigation found for North West London: The draft plan talks about "reducing demand for acute services by approximately 500 beds" which in practice means cutting that number of hospital beds By 2021, the health and social care system in North West London is projected to be £1.04 billion short of the funds it needs to balance its books while maintaining the same level of care for patients These plans are huge and complicated. Together we’ve started to shed light on them. But we just don’t know enough yet. [2] If we want to have our say on our local NHS services before it’s too late, we need to see every detail. The next step is to take this to our MPs. They’ll be concerned about changes to the NHS too. If MP after MP puts pressure on Jeremy Hunt, it could be enough to force him into publishing his full plans for our NHS. So, Peter, will you sign the petition asking Dawn Butler to lift the lid on the plans for the NHS in your area? SIGN THE PETITION Right now these plans force local NHS leaders to make impossible decisions to save money. But they could be so much better. Imagine an NHS with state-of-the-art technology, and doctors and nurses who have the time to look after every single patient properly. An NHS that puts patients before budget cuts. So 38 Degrees members are building a massive people-powered campaign across the country. From Liverpool to Canterbury, York to Leicester, 38 Degrees members in every area are demanding we see the full plans and get the chance to have our say on them. Together, we’re saying that patients - not politicians - should decide the future of our NHS. Peter, will you join thousands of other people and call on your MP to demand that these secret plans for our local NHS are out in the open? SIGN THE PETITION We’re already making progress together. Already, a quarter of a million of us have signed the petition calling on Jeremy Hunt to lift the lid on the plans. [3] And thousands of us chipped in to fund the people-powered investigation that’s splashed all over the media today. [4] Some of these plans for our NHS are downright scary. From the proposed closure of an A&E in The Black Country to hospital wards in Leeds, these plans will mean a different NHS for all of us. [5] A lot’s still unknown - and it’s up to us to find out the truth. Thanks for being involved, Maggie, Rachel, Laura and the 38 Degrees team PS: Thousands of 38 Degrees members chipped in to pay for an expert investigation to get the scoop on what the plans look like. The experts looked at everything they could find about the plans in every single area, to give us the information you see in this email. But lots is still unclear, and some areas haven’t released any details about their plans to the public. You can see the full investigation here, including what we know about every plan across England: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-investigation-blog PPS: The 38 Degrees staff team have tried our best to make sure that the information in this email is accurate and right for your area. But there’s a chance that some people who live on the borders of two NHS areas might see information about the plans for their neighbouring NHS in this email instead. If you spot any problems with the information in this email - or have more information to share about your local plans - please email the staff team atnhssecretplans@38degrees.org.uk NOTES: [1] 38 Degrees blog: Is our NHS at risk of cuts? NHS England’s “Sustainability and Transformation Plans” explained: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-secret-plans-faq [2] 38 Degrees blog: The 38 Degrees crowdfunded investigation into secret NHS plans: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-investigation-blog [3] 38 Degrees petition: Jeremy Hunt - Reveal your plans for the NHS: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-secret-plans-natp [4] BBC: NHS cuts 'planned across England': http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37186455 The Guardian: NHS plans radical cuts to fight growing deficit in health budget: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/26/nhs-plans-radical-cuts-to-fight-growing-deficit-in-health-budget [5] See note 2

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Grunwick Changed Me

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07npvfh

Grunwick Changed Me

Listen at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07npvfh

 

Maya Amin-Smith explores the impact of the Grunwick dispute, which began in August 1976, and finds out how members of her family became involved, and how they look back on it now.

The Grunwick dispute, at a film processing plant in north west London, is widely regarded as a landmark in British trade union history. For the first time, a high-profile strike involved women from South Asian immigrant communities, many of whom were fairly recent arrivals in the UK. Few if any had experience of industrial action - and the press at the time quickly noticed what they called 'strikers in saris', an image which challenged the perception that strikes were largely led by white men.

But aside from the public legacy of the Grunwick dispute, what was the personal impact on the people involved?

Maya Amin-Smith was born fifteen years after the strike was abandoned, into an Indian family of East-African immigrants. Her family had settled in the Chapter Road area of Dollis Hill where the Grunwick factory was situated. Indeed, two of her great aunts worked at the film processing plant themselves.

There's little sign now in the narrow streets of Dollis Hill that this was once the site of a long and bitter struggle, but now that the dust has settled, Maya explores the impact that this industrial action has had not only on her family, but on families like hers within the South Asian immigrant community, and how it's remembered now.