The NHS has never been more vulnerable than under the present government. The Tories wasted £3billion on an unnecessary and damaging top-down reorganisation. The new rules allow hospitals to earn up to 49% of their income from private patients, which risks pushing NHS patients to the back of the queue. New competition rules also force doctors to open up services to competition from the private sector.

Clive’s bill would end the creep towards NHS privatisation, bureaucracy and red-tape and put patients back at the heart of the NHS. Labour has pledged to invest the millions of pounds saved by scrapping competition red-tape in ensuring people can get a GP appointment within 48 hours, or on the same day if they need it.

At the vote 241 MPs supported Clive’s bill and only 18 voted against. Unfortunately we have to expect that the Government will block it at the next stage. The only way we will repeal the measures in the Health and Social Care Act is by having a majority of MPs in the next parliament who are willing to do so.

As many of you know I am standing down in May 2015, but I very much hope my successor will be in a position to repeal the act.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is celebrating the achievements of its “unsung” local healthcare professionals with the Trust’s first ever staff awards scheme.

The Trust is asking local people to nominate “healthcare heroes” who they feel have gone the “extra mile” and made a difference to their lives.  

Claire Champion, Director of Nursing and Clinical Services, said:

“We have around 6,000 staff working at University Hospital Lewisham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich, Queen Mary’s Sidcup and in a range of community settings in Lewisham.

“We know from patient feedback that we have hard working and caring staff who make a real difference to the lives of patients and their families.  I am proud of this organisation, and it’s important that we celebrate the good work that happens on a daily basis.”

If you would like to nominate a member of staff – or a team – for this award, please email your story to communications.lg@nhs.net  or write to: FREEPOST LGT.  You can also download a nomination form from the Trust’s website - www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk -  or pick up a copy in  patient waiting areas and main reception desks around the Trust.  Please call 020 3 192 6555 if you would like information.

The closing date for nominations is 19th September 2014.

Sir Robert Francis QC is currently conducting an independent review into creating an open and honest reporting culture within the NHS.

As part of this review he has issued an invitation to all NHS workers, employers and other organisations to share with him their experiences - both good and bad - of raising concerns in the NHS or supporting others who have done so.

Sir Robert is keen to understand all aspects of the issue and to hear suggestions and ideas on what would make a difference. He is also hoping to meet with a limited number of people to discuss their contributions in further detail.

The closing date for submitting contributions is Wednesday 10th September 2014. Further information, including details of how to submit your evidence, is available on the Freedom to Speak Up website at freedomtospeakup.org.uk.

One in three people in the UK has high blood pressure. It is a major cause of death and disability as it can cause heart attacks and strokes. This year the campaign aims to highlight the fact that there are 8 million people, both young and old, in the UK who are suffering from high blood pressure but not being treated for it.

High blood pressure has no obvious symptoms so the only way people will know if they have the condition is if they have their blood pressure checked. Once diagnosed, high blood pressure can be successfully managed. Public Health England states that checking the blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and lifestyle of people aged 40 to 74 could prevent 1,600 heart attacks and 4,000 cases of diabetes a year.

Free blood pressure checks will be available at various 'Pressure Stations' in pharmacies all over the country. To find your nearest one, simply enter your postcode into the search box on the 'Know Your Numbers!' website. 

There have been major advances in the fight against cancer over the last 40 years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress. 2 in 4 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK today will survive for at least 10 years - compared to just 1 in 4 in the early 1970s - but survival rates continue to lag behind those of comparable countries.

Freya was one of over 100 Cancer Research UK Ambassadors who came to Westminster last week to meet with their MPs and highlight the importance of parliamentary support in accelerating progress in the fight against cancer.

Freya said: “I’m really excited to have taken part in Cancer Research UK’s day of action because I know that this is a great way to make a difference. I feel passionate about supporting the organisation’s work. So many people are diagnosed with cancer and it’s vital that we do all we can to help save more lives. 

“It was fantastic to meet Joan to discuss my reasons for becoming an Ambassador and why access to treatment matters for me personally. Cancer Research UK is making huge progress but we need the help and support of MPs like Joan to help more cancer patients survive.”

It was a pleasure to meet with Freya and to listen to her story. If we are to meet Cancer Research UK’s target it is imperative for both this government and the next to ensure that cancer remains on the political agenda. I have therefore written to Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health, to ask him to back measures to improve access to radiotherapy treatment.

What you should bear in mind when applying for a European Health Insurance Card:

• Your EHIC should be free of charge
• If you are being asked to pay for your EHIC, you are not on the official EHIC application website
• Further information, including how to apply, can be found at www.gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card or by calling 0300 3301350
• Your EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance - when travelling within Europe, you should ensure you have both

People sometimes mistakenly use these misleading sites after following sponsored advertisements on internet search engines. If you have already been affected by this issue and paid money for an EHIC or other government service which should be free, please visit www.gov.uk/misleadingwebsites to make a complaint to Google and other search engines.

As you may know, clause 119 gives the Health Secretary sweeping powers to force hospital closures over the heads of local communities and I have vehemently opposed it from the beginning.

Before the last debate on the Care Bill took place, Heidi Alexander MP (Lewisham East), Jim Dowd MP (Lewisham West and Penge) and I wrote a letter to all MPs outlining our opposition and experiences of the Trust Special Administrator regime in Lewisham. During the debate on 16th December I raised my deep-seated concerns with both Jeremy Hunt MP, the Secretary of State for Health, and Andy Burnham MP, his opposite number on the Labour benches.

Yesterday we were all in the chamber once more to express our opposition to the clause. You can read our contributions in full here.

I would like to reassure my constituents that the Labour Party remained firmly opposed to this clause and voted against it last night, but we were defeated by 297 votes to 239. Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrat MP who tabled amendment NC16, withdrew his amendment as he felt the government had proposed changes which addressed his concerns, but Labour’s Jamie Reed pressed it to a vote: 241 MPs voted in favour of NC16 and 288 against.

Although the government has pledged to consult local people and clinical commissioners, we continue to be concerned that these concessions do not go far enough. I am sorry not to be able to report a more positive result. 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is inviting members of the public to attend two listening events and share their views on Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. These events will both be held on Tuesday 25th February at 6.30pm and will take place at:

• Charlton House, Charlton Road, London SE7 8RE
• Lewisham Central Community Hub, Bonfield Road, Lewisham, London SE13 5EU

The CQC is inspecting every NHS Trust in the country. People are encouraged to attend the listening events to find out more about the inspection process, share their experiences of care and to say where they would like to see improvements in the future. The feedback will help the CQC inspectors decide what to look at when they inspect Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the formal inspection, which starts on 26th February.

At Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, the CQC is expected to look in detail at eight key service areas: A&E; medical care (including elderly); surgery; intensive/critical care; maternity; paediatrics; end of life care; and outpatients.

More information is available on the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust website.

 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is currently undertaking an inspection of providers of out of hours GP services. It aims to inspect all providers by the end of June 2014.

The inspectors will look at how well the services respond to patients' needs and consider the quality of communication between out of hours care and other local services (GP practices, care homes, emergency services etc). 

South East London Doctors' Cooperative (SELDOC) Ltd, which provides out of hours services across South East London (including in Lewisham) is due to be inspected this month.  

The CQC is keen to hear from people who have used the out of hours services and will make use of any information provided to inform its inspections. You can make your views known in a number of ways:

1. Online: http://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us
2. By email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
3. By letter: CQC, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA
4. By phone: 03000 61 61 61

Worlds AIDS Day is taking place on December 1st and this year I am asking local people to show their support for people living with HIV, improve their understanding of the condition and demonstrate their commitment to tackling HIV in Lewisham Deptford.

Despite the growing number of people living with HIV and improved treatment, public knowledge and awareness of HIV haven't kept pace and are actually declining.

I believe that only by educating people about the reality of what it is like to live with HIV will we reduce the stigma that many people living with the virus still face.  Stigma also leads people to fear getting tested, which can have an impact on their health and increase the risk of HIV transmission.

I am so proud to wear a red ribbon to mark this year's World AIDS Day.  With around 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK, we must do more to improve HIV prevention and testing, especially given 1 in 5 people with HIV remain undiagnosed and almost half of people are still being diagnosed late.

For people living with HIV in the UK one of the biggest challenges is still stigma, which is often the result of ignorance about HIV and unnecessary fear.  Stigma also stops some people from taking an HIV test.