New Political Party!

Have you heard today's news?
5 GPs are now millionaires because they have sold the out of hours system they set up to a private healthcare company. I think it was for 48 million.
How was that allowed to happen?

Don't ordinary GPs make profits too?

Lilygran, the link is epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/40126

Have you read the Green Pages?

Another site I read regularly is Tax Research UK

Can you give us a link, Jen ?

The other thing you can do is sign my petition on the epetition website to ask the govt. to look into the connections between govt. ministers and private healthcare companies.

People seem to have found it now and it has 456 signatures., nearly doubled since Monday, so I am grateful to anyone here who signed it.

I know I seem to have a thing about Branson, but so does the Green Benches website, which you should all read.
Apparently Branson wrote a report for Blair in July 2000 to say the NHS was unfit for the 21st Century, and he has been buying it bit by bit since then. He gets paid millions to run it, then any profit goes offshore and not back into the NHS. Most of the Virgin Care sites are performing worse than the NHS that they took over. Of course all the profit that goes offshore will not be mentioned in the HSBC scandal because he has his own bank as well, doesn't he?

I'm a member of Save Our Local NHS Hull and East Yorkshire and also a member of www.nationalhealthaction.org.uk

I feel that everyone should support anyone fighting to save our Health Service, yes there are things that are wrong with it, if we want it to be run properly it need's funding correctly, staff training and both staff and patients to be treat with respect.

At the moment staff are terrified because of the threats they are receiving from management i.e. you do not tell anybody what is going on, you do not sign any petitions, you do not attend any meetings in support of the NHS You do not ask or answer any questions regarding the health service the threat is, you will lose your job if you are found doing any of the above.

Heart breaking stories about what is happening to patients to many to put on here.

How do I know this, because we have an help line for staff and patients who need support, they do not need to tell us their name, just have to ask for help. The line is well used. If you want to get involved in helping to save the health service, go on Google and find out what people are doing in your area you will also find info on facebook pages.

I guess you live in Brighton, Whitewave.
The National Health Action Party is not single issue. Look at their website. It's strange that GPs can be handed the NHS to run, but not be trusted with other aspects of the economy.

What expertise did Cameron and cohort have in the economy?

I am pleased to see that my epetition on the NHS has now double the number of signatures it had two days ago, 428 now. Still needs another 100,000 to be considered in Parliament.

I tried to get another epetition going to ask that any company that was involved in tax dodging should not be allowed to compete for NHS contracts. It was turned down, presumably on the grounds that commercially sensitive information might have to be disclosed. It's not commercially sensitive at all, it's all on the Green Benches website.

Those of you who live in Scotland should be pleased to know that I got the idea from the Scottish Parliament, which means that you will not have Branson and friends bidding for NHS contracts, but we will have them owning more.

My MP is Green and so is the council. We are so forward looking here!!

I think it will be interesting to see what happens - as others have said it is a single issue party at the moment but the NHS is symbolic of the wider welfare state and the 'socialist' agenda (I use the term in the widest possible sense) introduced after the war. If there is strong support for this movement that could send a message to all the major political parties that the public is ready for a new (old) direction. I live in hope that it could signal a return to a fairer society and a true welfare state to care for everyone 'from cradle to grave'.

Current Legislation covers England and Wales, not Scotland where NHS is devolved.

Maybe the party will spread. But the current legislation that is affecting the NHS covers only England (and possibly Wales), so I guess that's what's driving them at the moment.

Isn't it just the NHS in England that is under imminent threat. Of course, that doesn't mean it's safe elsewhere.

Followed your link, Bags, and the first thing I noticed (well I would wouldn't I) was that the aim is to protect the NHS in ENGLAND. Does that mean that they think the NHS in Scotland is in safe hands? But what about Wales - totally forgotten or what?

Greatnan Neil Hamilton is so loathsome I could probably have beaten him. [

A single candidate on single issue, such as the closure of a local hospital, is different from a single-issue party. Look at the electoral difficulties the Greens are still encountering as they are mainly seen as one-issue.

Martin Bell beat Neil Hamilton on the single issue of corruption and we have already seen one candidate elected on the single issue of the NHS. I am hopeful that even 'tribal' Tories will have seen the light!

Normally I would say that a one-issue party hasn't got a hope in hell but the NHS is dear to many people's hearts and there is much anger about its dismemberment. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Wow - that is spooky! I asked on my thread for the name of a party for whom I could vote, and you provide one. I couldn't open your link, Bags, but I googled it and got lots of information. They hope to field 50 candidates in seats where the incumbent member is voting for the disastrous health 'reforms'.