Why NHS campaigners oppose the privatisers’ NHS Commission Bill

Posted on by
1

Plain Speaker would urge everyone campaigning to save our A&Es in Calderdale and Huddersfield to beware of this NHS & Social Care Commission Bill and not to give it your support.

Many NHS campaigners across the country are signing a public letter stating that we are extremely concerned that the Bill for the Commission is misleading at best, and deceitful at worst. We urge MPs who have the interests of the public, rather than the vested interests of the private health sector, as their main concern, to refuse support for this Commission. Continue reading →

How to refuse consent for your GP to pass your fit note records to DWP

Posted on by
4

If you have a sick note/fit note from your GP, or are going to ask for one, come February 2016 you will need to explicitly tell your GP you refuse consent for them to pass your ‘fit note’ records onto the Department of Works & Pensions (DWP).

In a measure that a doctor has described as ‘state snooping’ – as reported in Pulse magazine –  the government has told GPs that they must pass on their patients’ fit note records to the DWP, and that although GPs must inform patients this is happening, the only way they – and you – can stop it happening is for patients to explicitly refuse their consent. Continue reading →

NHS Commissioners’ meeting “like North Korea”

Posted on by
11

At the 20th January Greater Huddersfield and Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Groups meeting, the governing bodies’ unanimous decision to go ahead with a public consultation on plans to cut hospital and close hospital services was immediately denounced by a member of the public, who said:

“This is like North Korea”.

Amid general outcry, someone called out, to a round of applause.

“Shame on all of you”,

While another calmly said,

“You’re a cabal preparing for privatisation. That new hospital will be wrapped up in a pink ribbon and sold off.”

Continue reading →

Ending the PFI hospitals rip-off

Posted on by
2

Quite a few people, rightly outraged by Calderdale Royal Hospital’s rip-off PFI debt, are calling for Calderdale Council to lend the hospitals Trust the money to buy out the debt, along the lines of the Council-financed Hexham Hospital buy out of its PFI debt in 2014.

The Hexham PFI contract allowed an early exit, the CRH one doesn’t

The Council’s PFI debt buy-out was possible at Hexham Hospital because of PFI contract conditions that don’t apply at Calderdale Royal Hospital (CRH). As the Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare (the Trust that runs Hexham hospital) told the Financial Times:

Northumbria benefited from a rare clause that allowed an early exit, which many PFI agreements do not include.

Continue reading →

Who’s holding the smoking gun? Questions about A&E and hospital cuts for 20th Jan public meeting

Posted on by
4
The public can ask questions at the Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Groups Governing Bodies meeting at 1.30pm, Wednesday 20th January at Briar Court Hotel, Halifax Road, Huddersfield HD3.

My question is about whether the decision to make Calderdale Royal Hospital the acute/ A&E hospital is down to the need for the hospitals Trust to maximise the value of the CRH PFI contract. Continue reading →

Sweep out NHS privatisers, Save our A&Es protest is first – but not last – at Monitor office

Posted on by
1

Friday 15 Jan was the day that Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS market bureaucrats finally published their pre-consultation business plan for the hospital cuts that have been hanging over us all in Calderdale and Huddersfield for 2 years now.

It was also the day that members of Calderdale and Kirklees 999 Call for the NHS handed in 49 letters of protest to Monitor, the NHS market competition enforcer. (Kind of like Ofgem for the NHS.) Continue reading →

Help from Council for people who’ve been flooded out of their homes

Posted on by
Reply

Info about help for people who’ve been flooded out of their homes is on the Calderdale Council residents’ flood help website in the section:

“Help available through the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme”

Anyone who has had to leave their home temporarily due to flooding and is in receipt of Housing Benefit may be able to get assistance with the following:

  • Bond payments if moving into a private tenancy
  • Removal costs
  • Shortfall in rent if temporarily moving into a property larger than the household needs

Please complete and return to us the Discretionary housing payment form [(downloadable here

New £5K Flood Resilience & Resistance Grants for Communities, Home Owners & Businesses #hebdenrising

Posted on by
2

Calderdale Council has just launched a new repair and renew grant scheme, to provide grants of up to £5,000 to home owners, businesses and communities that were flooded. The grants are TO IMPLEMENT FLOOD RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE MEASURES to minimise the impact of any future floods. They will NOT provide funding support for general repairs.

For more information, please read on. Continue reading →

£2,500 Calderdale Council grants for flood-hit businesses

Posted on by
Reply

Calderdale Council estimates that 1,250 businesses have been affected by the Boxing Day floods. These businesses can apply to the Council for financial support to help them get back on their feet.

Businesses that are eligible for the grant are small to medium enterprises, charities and other third sector organisations.

A grant of up to £2,500 per business is available to help them open up and start trading again after damage caused by the Boxing Day storm. The funding covers costs such as clean up equipment (generators, dehumidifiers, lighting, brushes etc), building and stock security, IT and electricity, temporary accommodation, specialist advice and marketing to keep customers informed. Continue reading →

£500 flood hardship grant for households – including those who live on boats

Posted on by
2

If your home was flooded a one off payment of £500 per household is available. This includes people who live on a boat as their main accommodation and who were affected by the flooding.

The grant is to help support you with your recovery costs, e.g. repairs or paying for alternative accommodation.

Like other householders, boat dwellers are also entitled to the Council Tax suspension. Volunteers from the HB flood relief hub are visiting those living on boats and will pass this information on. Continue reading →