1st April: All Together for the NHS Day

After 26 March, the next big date in the campaign calendar is 1st April. NHS supporters around the country will be lobbying their MPs, at local events and individually for All Together for the NHS Day.

The NHS as we know it is under threat from drastic changes contained in Andrew Lansley’s Health and Social Care Bill. The bill has now cleared the committee stage, and will soon be going on to its third reading in the Commons.

It’s vitally important that we engage with MPs now, to make them aware their constituents are worried about the bill.

We oppose these changes for five main reasons:

Opening up the NHS to private profit. Taxpayers’ money destined for NHS patients will be diverted into shareholder profits.

Broken promises: Before the election David Cameron said: “I will cut the deficit, not the NHS” yet this reorganisation could cost up to £3 billion. No one voted for this.

Longer waiting times: With no cap on the amount hospitals can earn from private patients, NHS patients risk being pushed to the back of the queue.

Postcode lottery: Under the proposals, the care patients can expect will vary from place to place, increasing costs and health inequalities and hurting vulnerable people.

The NHS is working: Public satisfaction with the NHS is currently at an all-time high.

You can help now.

Please get involved and help unions and campaigners to make All Together for the NHS Day a success.

Check out False Economy’s listings of events near you, and other actions you can take online.

And please take a moment to take our online action to email your MP, asking them to vote against the bill at the third reading.