KONPNE campaign news – photos, videos, updates, media articles – from January 2020 to NOW
(For KONPNE Campaign activity for the ten years 2010 to December 2019, click here)
Wednesday 1st February 2023 – Protect the Right to Strike: TUC March and Rally, Newcastle upon Tyne
If you want a NHS, then you need to support the NHS Strike actions….and protect the right to strike.
Amazing scenes at Grey’s Monument today as thousands of people gathered in support of the right to strike – a HUGE march and rally – one of the biggest in Newcastle for a long, long time. Important to march together to show our teachers, firefighters, civil servants, rail workers, NHS workers and countless others that we support their action to defend pay, jobs and services. A clear message was sent to the government that we will not be ignored.
KONPNE were proud to be there and we remember: NHS staff are striking for fairness regarding pay, our health, and the future of #OURNHS
===============
28th January 2023 – National Day of Action: The NHS Crisis is a Crisis of Government – Grey’s Monument, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
The Tory Government are quick to blame everyone and everything but themselves for the current crisis they have created in our NHS. Health Secretary, Steve Barclay told already exhausted NHS staff to work even harder if they want a pay rise. We believe it is Steve Barclay and the Conservative Government who should be working harder to fix the current NHS crisis that is now costing lives at an unprecedented rate. The NHS Crisis is a Crisis of Government,
A great turn out today at the SOS NHS event at the Monument in Newcastle upon Tyne – much assistance from members of KONP North East, Unite Community and North East Peoples Assembly – all demanding an end to the crisis and showing support for striking NHS staff…. and much support from people in the town centre!! Many sign ups on the information stall, hundreds of leaflets distributed and many conversations.
15th January 2023 – John Kennedy
It is with huge sadness that we inform you that our friend and colleague John Kennedy died on 11th January 2023.
John served as a valued member of the KONPNE Steering Group and health campaigner for a number of years and, to the end, he was pushing for a better health and social care system and for better pay and terms and conditions for workers within it. In his final weeks, John’s hospice room was a hub for debates with nursing staff, visitors, and volunteers on the importance of keeping the NHS public, the importance of strikes and the need for Unions.
At KONPNE, we remember John’s indomitable spirit, his energy and his wry sense of humour and he is hugely missed. Our sincere and deepest condolences and thoughts are with Ann and his family at this time.
5th January 2023 – …..And into the New Year
A very constructive meeting this evening – planning the Campaign for the New Year and beyond, with a range of national, regional and individual actions. If YOU care about the future of our NHS, there is an action for you to get involved in…
for notes from tonights planning meeting – these are open notes, and available for all to read
for details of current actions. This link also provides details of our next meeting via Zoom on Thursday 2nd February 2023 – ALL WELCOME
31st December 2022 – 2022 VIDEO….That was the year that was…..
Longsands, Tynemouth, 2022
New Year Good Wishes from all at KONPNE !!
to watch a short video log of the NHS Campaign in the NE throughout 2022….
and THIS IS YOUR INVITATION to join in with us in 2023!!!!!!!
We give our sincere thanks to all NHS staff, and we also thank all KONPNE supporters for persistence in fighting for a publicly funded, publicly provided and publicly accountable NHS, which is available to all.
We’ll be back in the New Year to join forces and to continue the fight. See you then – and wishing all a very happy and healthy New Year
x KONPNE
25th December 2022 – Christmas Day card deliveries to Keyworkers
KONPNE outside the Freeman Hospital on Christmas Day – MANY MANY THANKS to all NHS Staff
We all know it – but perhaps we don’t think about it….?
NHS staff provide comprehensive, expert healthcare and support 24 / 7 x 365 cover. All days and all nights, Christmas Day included. Surely THAT is worth saving??
We need to halt the steady erosion of our NHS. Join us with the Campaign in the North East….click here for details of the January meeting.….and, between now and then, wishing you a happy and healthy time at Christmas
KONPNE x
23rd December 2022 – Card deliveries to GP surgeries across the region
Our thanks go to the many health professionals working at GP surgeries across the NE. You are, more often than not, the first port of call and have the superhuman task of managing an ever-increasing patient list and ever-increasing demands at a time of service cuts, closures, staff shortages and slashed funding. We delivered our Thank You cards to a representative number of practices and, to EVERYONE in Primary Care across the region, we offer an unreserved and sincere THANK YOU.
21st December 2022 – Sincere thanks to NHS staff in Sunderland
A busy lunchtime – with the team at KONP Sunderland and District meeting, greeting and providing seasonal Thank You cards to nurses, receptionists, cleaners, physios and emergency response staff at Sunderland Royal. The NHS staff working in Sunderland make an impressive team, and we give our sincere thanks.
20th December 2022 – Clear statement to this “Government”
KONPNE solidarity with @RCNNorthern @theRCN picket at Newcastle RVI and North Tyneside General on the second day of the RCN Strike.
#FairPayforNursing KONPNE and, indeed, the vast majority of people in the country stand with NHS Staff – it can’t be made any clearer than that. More info is here
18th December 2022 – Festive KONPNE at North Tyneside General
This won’t shorten the waiting list, or improve working conditions, or put money in the wage packet – but our KONPNE Christmas Thank You cards for NHS staff are a small way of demonstrating a sincere Thank You, and were very well received by surprised North Tyneside General Hospital staff this morning. A sincere THANK YOU to all NHS staff in North Tyneside.
Final opportunity this year: Join us in giving out special edition KONP Christmas ThankYou Cards to NHS staff…. it’s the very least we can do……Wednesday 21st December at 12 noon at Sunderland Royal Hospital (meet at bus stop on Chester Road). Your assistance is welcomed.
17th December 2022 – North Shields Rally 2 for NHS Staff
Members of KONPNE were pleased to support the second in a sequence of two rallies in North Shields supporting the NHS strikes, hosted by the National Shop Stewards Network (NE). All trade unionists, patients & health workers were invited to speak on the open mic.
Craig Thompson, GMB North Tyneside, Assistant Branch Secretary: “This strike is not solely about wages. It is about safety, waiting lists, ambulances, shortage of doctors and nurses. This is a planned route to privatisation and must not happen”
Graeme Cansdale, RMT: “This demoralisation and underfunding is linked with the marketisation of our public services. Profit, the primary motive, is literally killing people”
John Hoare, Unite the Union Not for Profit branch: “The media vilifies anyone who stands up – not just political leaders, but also Union leaders. The National Shop Stewards Network brings together Trade Unionists from across the board, and that is what is now needed”
Caroline Cansdale, Unison North Tyneside: “Social care is an essential part of the picture. There is an need for additional funding”
Jude Letham, Co-ordinator, Keep Our NHS Public North East: “One of the easiest ways to encourage privatisation in the NHS is to underpay and overwork NHS staff. We are standing alongside the nurses on the picket lines”
John Whalley, Keep Our NHS Public North East: “The NHS runs on the goodwill of staff – working longer hours to provide adequate cover, staying on late to write up notes, covering shifts at short notice, facing up to very significant personal risks throughout the recent pandemic. If we’re not careful, this goodwill will be lost forever”
William Jarrett, National Shop Stewards Network, North East: “The NSSN stands in complete solidarity with NHS workers and all workers engaged in industrial action. Our purpose is to link and unite their struggles and to coordinate wherever possible”
17th December 2022 – 7am: frosty weather and a very warm response at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle
Frosty weather and a warm response – up at 7am to catch the early shift and the departing night shift…. our KONPNE Christmas Thank You cards were very well received by staff at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. Our sincere thanks go to you for all you have done over the past year.
15th December 2022 – Pay Justice for NHS Staff
Proud to stand alongside nurses and supporters outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne this afternoon, and outside North Tyneside General Hospital this evening. The Royal College of Nursing are striking for pay justice AND ALSO for the integrity of our healthcare system and for the future of the NHS. We stand with NHS Staff.
14th December 2022 – A huge Thank You to NHS staff in Durham
What can we say to our NHS staff at the end of the year that was? Or maybe, at times, actions speak louder than words? A Christmas card won’t shorten the waiting list, or improve working conditions, or put money in the wage packet – but it is a small way of demonstrating a sincere Thank You.
KONPNE Santa’s were at the University Hospital of North Durham this lunchtime, and our KONPNE cards were very well received by staff. A sincere Thank You to all at Durham.
Join us in giving out our KONPNE Christmas ThankYou Cards to NHS staff over the next few days…. it’s the very least we can do……
Saturday 17th December at 7am – Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, meet at bus stop by main gate
Sunday 18th December at 7am – North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields, meet at bus stop on Rake Lane
Wednesday 21st December at 12 noon – Sunderland Royal Hospital, meet at bus stop on Chester Road
….. and another action – we will be supporting the nurse picket lines in Newcastle and North Tyneside tomorrow – click here for info
10th December 2022 – Inspiring speakers at North Shields rally in support of NHS strikes
Dr Helen Groom (KONPNE) and Dr Pam Wortley (SHA and KONP)
An amazing @NSSN_AntiCuts North Shields #NHSStrikes rally! Speakers included Michelle Barrett-Ruecroft (RCN), Craig Toft (Unite), John Harrison (DPAC), Dr Pam Wortley (SHA), John Hoare (Unite) and Dr Helen Groom (KONPNE). Many thanks to William Jarrett (NSSN-NE) for organising and hosting.
Dr Helen Groom:
“What horrifies me is that over the last few years, as a country, we seem to believe that there’s nothing we can do to stop the increased privatisation of the NHS. We can. We need to start giving our politician’s very clear and unambiguous messages. WE (and that should include you) DEMAND that the government: 1. Pay Nurses properly: without fair pay, staffing shortages will cost lives 2. Invest in a fully publicly owned NHS & guarantee free healthcare for future generations”
Dr Pam Wortley:
We need -emergency investment to rebuild #OurNHS -deliver pay justice to all health and care workers @NHSStaffVoices -end private interests in the NHS
….and we do it all again next Saturday, same place! Saturday 17th December 2022, 1pm at Bedford Street, North Shields. Make sure that you show your support for NHS staff – this Rally is about supporting fair wages, the integrity of our healthcare and the future of the NHS.
Click here for event details
1st December 2022 – Campaign dates arranged for the run up to Christmas
A lively discussion at the monthly KONPNE meeting this evening, together with updates about recent actions, and a number of Campaign dates in the diary for the run up to Christmas – information about the local Integrated Care System, dates arranged to deliver Christmas Thank You cards to hospital staff, our solidarity and support confirmed for the RCN Nurses Strike, discussions around hosting the national touring art exhibition in the summer of 2023, and our ongoing Campaign with We Own It against outsourcing in the NHS.
Click here for notes from the meeting – available for all to read.
Our next meeting will take place on Thursday 5th January 2023 at 7pm via Zoom – all are welcome, and information about this is here.
In the interim, there is much happening – look out for our emails, plus updates are posted here
25th November 2022 – KONPNE responds to the draft strategy for the NHS in the North East
The local “Integrated Care System” (now responsible for all NHS commissioning in the North East and North Cumbria) is in the process of developing a strategy which set outs ambitions and goals for the future. The ICS invited feedback from the public and all stakeholders on their initial draft, and we responded accordingly – KONPNE supporters felt that there are a number of important issues to develop further in this document, including *the need for the NHS to be the default provider of services, to work towards decreasing outsourcing *a commitment to providing a free and comprehensive health service to all *no private sector representation on NHS decision-making bodies *Emergency Care for all – no need to be registered with a NE GP *thorough assessment of needs prior to discharge *commitment to nationally agreed pay and conditions for staff, and commitment to work alongside Unions.
to read our feedback to the local ICS
&
to read the ICS draft strategy 2022
19th November 2022 – Brisk November Campaigning Walk….
Out and about for a brisk campaigning walk along the Whitley Bay > Cullercoats promenade, refuel at the wonderful Cullercoats Coffee (where else), and then on to North Shields town centre with the megaphone, plus many conversations in support of OUR NHS and NHS STAFF, plus great to have sign ups to the new WE OWN IT petition.
PLEASE SIGN THE NEW PETITION HERE – this goes to the leaders of local health services, highlighting the recent research from Oxford University which links NHS privatisation to 557 deaths – this outsourcing needs to STOP NOW.
to sign the petition
12th November 2022 – SOS NHS
Powerful speeches at SOSNHS 2022 Conference today….. over twenty speakers including
**Dr Tony O’Sullivan, Co-Chair @keepnhspublic: “Nurses are striking for the safety of patients and the integrity of the NHS, as well as fair pay and conditions”
**Kate Osborne MP (Jarrow) @KateOsborneMP “This year history has been made – 300K nurses have voted to strike. As always, I will join them on the picket line. We will ensure that they win”
**Rachel Bannister @JustTreatment “Anger creates energy. We need to fight to end the outsourcing of care to private profiteers”
12th November 2022 – Response from Gateshead Council
A question was recently put to Gateshead Council regarding the new “Integrated Care System” – this is now responsible for commissioning all healthcare in the NE. This system fragments the NHS and and there remain a number of important issues to be worked on.
Good to see the commitment of Gateshead Council in supporting a “free, universal, comprehensive NHS, based on clinical need” and the thorough response from Cllr Caffrey. KONPNE are aware that many Councillors in the North East are supportive and stand by the NHS. There are, however, a number of issues associated with the Councils response to our question which, we feel, require development. Read the question from KONPNE, the Council response and our comments here
Many thanks to Tony Dowling, Gateshead resident and Chair of North East Peoples Assembly, for putting this question to the Council.
11th November 2022 – Feedback needed asap to ICS re draft Strategy
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System has produced a draft strategy, and are inviting responses by Thursday 25th November 2022. Please view this document and email your comments. There are a number of important issues to consider highlighting, including *the need for the NHS to be the default provider of services, to work towards decreasing outsourcing *a commitment to providing a free and comprehensive health service to all *no private sector representation on NHS decision-making bodies *Emergency Care for all – no need to be registered with a NE GP *commitment to nationally agreed pay and conditions for staff, and commitment to work alongside Unions. Click here (and scroll to part 2) to read more about our concerns.
It is crucial that your views are made clear to the ICS.
for links to the ICS Draft Strategy and ICS email address
9th November 2022 – Mandate for strike action
The Royal College of Nursing have just been given a massive mandate for strike action to take place.
“Nurses will be striking for their pay, your health and the future of the NHS” @Pollytoynbee
5th November 2022 – Britain is Broken: Peoples Assembly National Demonstration, London
Remember, remember the 5th of November – this autumn the cost of living crisis has reached new peaks – raised food, heating, lighting, fuel and mortgage costs in the context of wage freezes, all brought about by an incapable Government lacking in strategic direction. Members of KONPNE were proud to join with Peoples Assembly North East at the national march and rally in London to make it clear to the Government that we won’t pay for their actions. The message is straightforward and clear: Wages up, bills down, Tories out.
Thousands join with the North East contingent to ensure a straightforward and clear message: Tories Out – Not Fit to Govern
Speakers Mick Lynch and Dr Andrew Mayerson | KONPNE meet up with national KONP Co-Chair Dr Tony O’Sullivan
Dr Andrew Mayerson, A & E doctor:
“I love the NHS and we are in deep, deep trouble right now.
I come from the States, the land of private healthcare, where you have to use your credit card to pay for healthcare, where medical care is routinely denied because the insurance company just says no – and that is the direction that the Tories are marching our NHS. That is why I’m here fighting for it because I believe so firmly in the NHS as the best model of healthcare anywhere in the world.
Every generation must fight for the NHS and this is our time to fight back for it, to save it. It’s worth it and we need to do this”.
Click here to hear the full speech on video
And many thanks to all at Peoples Assembly North East for arranging the coach and for the great company on the way down to London. https://twitter.com/peepsassemblene
3rd November 2022 – KONPNE meeting
KONPNE members say THANK YOU; Leeds conference, October 2022
Much discussed at tonights meeting, held via Zoom – including our recent questions to full Council meetings across the NE, joint work with “We Own It” regarding procurement, feedback from the conference in Leeds, information about the forthcoming Peoples Assembly march and rally in London, joining info re the SOS NHS conference, planning for the “Threads of Survival” exhibition and Christmas events. Notes from the meeting plus links etc are posted here – these are open, and for all to read.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 1st December at 7pm via Zoom – please join us – there is a role for YOU. Zoom joining details are here
22nd October 2022 – Northern Health Campaign Groups meet in Leeds
Many thanks to John, Gilda, Nick and all at Leeds KONP for organising todays event in Leeds – a very warm welcome, excellent discussions and contacts made with other northern health campaign groups, and superb presentations from Dr Sally Ruane (Deputy Director of the Health and Social Policy Research Unit at De Montfort University, Leicester), Dr Colin Hutchinson (Chair of Doctors for the NHS and Calderdale Councillor), Felicity Dowling (Save Liverpool Womens Hospital Campaign), Rachael Tomlinson (Disabled People Against Cuts) and Adrian O’Malley (Unison).
Dr Colin Hutchinson delivered a detailed presentation, highlighting that the ICS Board is required to provide core clinical services – any other service is dependent on money left over, hence the further development of a postcode lottery. He further clarified his position that current cuts to funding will impact on patients and staff, probably both, with fewer treatments, patients travelling further, reduced access to treatments aby increased eligibility criteria and waiting lists, coupled with the possible ditching of national agreements on staff pay and conditions.
Dr Colin Hutchinson speaking, together with conference chair Dr John Puntis
Strong images from the Leeds Conference – October 2022
Five KONPNE members attended – a very useful day indeed. Updates from the day will be provided at the November KONPNE meeting. Thanks once again to all at Leeds KONP.
North East in Yorkshire
20th October 2022 – “We Own It” launch new petition against NHS privatisation
An impressive “We Own It” petition launch, with over 300 participants….and the action and underlying rationale for the petition is crystal clear – we need you to sign the petition to demand that local NHS leaders commit to end NHS outsourcing BECAUSE 557 deaths are 557 too many.
We were told that outsourcing was ‘the most efficient way to provide services’ and, for over a decade, the ideology of privatisation has been gaining a strong foothold in our NHS. But many people always knew that this wasn’t true, and now they’ve been proven absolutely right. A new national research study has found the evidence to be crystal clear: preventable deaths of 557 people have been linked to the outsourcing of NHS services. Ben Goodair, the Oxford academic behind the research, told over 300 people at the petition launch rally this evening: “My research found that wherever privatisation increased, deaths from preventable causes also increased. It is clear that there is a connection there”.
NHS leaders now have to face the facts: privatisation fails our health.
Please add your name to the petition and demand that local health leaders in the North East and North Cumbria commit to end outsourcing in our NHS now…..and then share it with family and friends
to sign the “We Own It” petition
and
to receive leaflets to distribute to houses on your street
Thank you for everything you do to protect our NHS from privatisation.
…..and read about the findings of the Goodair and Reeves research study (University of Oxford):
13th October 2022 – Public Question Time at Gateshead Council
NHS campaigners in the North East are putting formal questions to seven North East councils to determine their stance on the new “Integrated Care System” – given that the ICSs are under instruction from NHS England, our local Councillors are our representatives regarding this new programme, and we need to ensure that they are accountable in standing up for our NHS.
Health campaigners have already questioned five local Councils, and today was the turn of Gateshead Council. Our thanks go to Tony Dowling, KONPNE supporter and chair of North East Peoples Assembly for presenting the following question:
I speak on behalf of “Keep Our NHS Public North East”.
Further to the deeply flawed Health and Care Act 2022, you will be aware that “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” is now responsible for commissioning all healthcare for Gateshead from 1st July this year.
There are potentially a number of problematic areas associated with the new Integrated Care System, and some of these difficulties may be addressed and remedied locally through attention to the wording of the Constitution of the new “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board”.
Issues that need to be clearly stated within the Constitution include:
– the ICS commitment to maintain a comprehensive health service, free at the point of need, and accessible to all residing in the area
– the need to exclude representatives from private sector organisations on any ICS board or committee; this issue is noted in the Constitution, but there is a “let-out” clause which allows private sector involvement
– a commitment that NHS providers are the default providers of health services
– vigorous scrutiny, transparency and accountability with all new contracts
– a commitment that anyone who needs emergency care while present in Gateshead will receive the necessary treatment, whether or not they are registered with a GP in the county
– a commitment that the Integrated Care Board will include a Councillor from each local authority; the current Constitution identifies one elected member to represent 14 local authorities covering a population of 3 million. Locally, three additional Council officers are identified for the Board, but these are not elected members. There also need to be representatives from the range of health professionals and patient groups. This presence will uphold local democracy and transparency
– a commitment to hold all meetings of Boards and Committees in public, making papers available, and welcoming questions from the public
– the requirement for the full assessment of health and care needs, and availability of social supports, prior to a patients discharge from hospital
– the need for all NHS providers within the area to adhere to nationally agreed pay, terms and conditions, as negotiated with NHS staff Unions
I would be grateful if you would please outline what Gateshead Council is doing with regard to each of these issues when in contact with officers of the Integrated Care System, and please confirm the Council’s stance is to support the principle that the NHS must be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of use and based on the clinical needs of patients – not on the new Integrated Care Boards’ financial considerations.
Councillor Lynne Caffrey responded to the question, and this response will be posted here shortly.
How does your Council shape up…….? Click here to read about our questions to seven full Council meetings across the region this year….
13th October 2022 – North East and North Cumbria ICS replies
We have, at last, received a response from the local ICS regarding our concerns.
to read our initial email (26th June 2022)
&
for the response from NENC ICS (13th October 2022)
We are grateful for the detail in this response, although remain very concerned about much of the content. We will be considering this further and, of course, discussing with supporters.
6th October 2022 – Planning the Autumn and Winter campaigns
An energising discussion, creative thinking, and lots of action planned at tonights KONPNE meeting – always the first Thursday at 7pm via Zoom. All are welcome.
There’s a lot going on. To find out more about the “Enough is Enough” rally, interventions by Save South Tyneside Hospital Campaign, our formal questions to seven NE full Council meetings, our joint work with “We Own It” regarding the local Integrated Care System, the “Threads of Survival” exhibition, the forthcoming Peoples Assembly march and rally, and the Leeds and SOS NHS conferences…. then click here to read the notes from the meeting and/or BETTER STILL !!!!!….. join us at the next monthly KONPNE meeting on Thursday 3rd November 2022 at 7pm – information is here, and there is a role for YOU
1st October 2022 – Enough is Enough in the North East
…. and Hairy Biker demands that we Keep Our NHS Public
Great to join North East Peoples Assembly and the Enough is Enough campaign for the Day of Action rally this afternoon at Grey’s Monument, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. A huge attendance, huge support, and a clear message from speakers representing a range of Unions, plus Ian Lavery (MP), Jamie Driscoll (North of Tyne Mayor), Tony Dowling (Peoples Assembly), Stand Up To Racism, Tom Pickard (North East poet) and Si King (Hairy Bikers TV chef and presenter)….
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “Enough is Enough. People are asking for is a pay rise that stops them from losing money. It is not even a real pay rise, it is just keeping up with inflation. I don’t think its too much to ask that for the people we clapped for on a Thursday night, the people that keep this country running, the people that keep us safe, the people that put food in the shops, for them to be able to pay their bills.”
Hairy Biker supports Keep Our NHS Public NE
HAIRY BIKER Si King joins with KONPNE (and 1,500 others!) at todays Rally
Speaking to KONPNE after the rally, Hairy Biker Si King commented “Many of my family and friends work in the NHS here in the North East. We need to be calm, be informed, go into the community and tell it like it is. Truth will prevail”.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: We demand ** a real pay rise ** slash energy bills ** end food poverty ** decent homes for all ** tax the rich
Click here to read the report in the Chronicle
INFO: click here for the Enough is Enough website
30th September 2022 – We Own It, KONPNE and Unite
Thank you to Unite Community (Tyne & Wear and Northumberland Branch) for the invitation to speak at todays Branch meeting – there was an opportunity to outline the current demands facing the NHS, present major concerns about the new “Integrated Care System” (click here for info) and describe the forthcoming NHS anti-privatisation Campaign hosted by the national Campaign group “We Own It”. This specific Campaign will comprise a number of actions throughout the coming 12 months; KONPNE are joining with North East “We Own It” members and now, after this afternoons vote, to be joined also by Unite Community (Tyne & Wear and Northumberland). Great to have you on board!
Other groups in the North East have also expressed an interest in joining in with this specific unified Campaign as equal collaborators. Please rest assured that we will be passing all contacts and expressions of interest to the staff at “We Own It”, who will be arranging a virtual meeting and discussion with all interested individuals and groups in the North East and North Cumbria regions. Watch this space – we will be in touch with further details.
If you, or your group, would like to find out more or would like a speaker to address your meeting, please contact “We Own It” at info@weownit.org.uk or “Keep Our NHS Public North East” at konpnortheast@gmail.com
21st September 2022 – Questions in Northumberland
NHS campaigners in the North East are putting formal questions to seven North East councils to determine their stance on the new “Integrated Care System” – given that the ICSs are under instruction from NHS England, our local Councillors are our representatives regarding this new programme, and we need to ensure that they are accountable in standing up for our NHS.
Scroll down on this page for our contacts with Durham, Sunderland, and Newcastle Councils, and to read about a DISGRACEFUL response from North Tyneside Council.
Today, though, we faced Northumberland County Council in a…. pre-meeting meeting?? Unusually, Public Question Time for Northumberland County Council takes place immediately before the full Council meeting – it is not part of the formal full County Council meeting AND, unlike the full County Council meeting, there is no live stream…. It will be interesting to learn from the Council as to why they have decided to manage public questions in this way as it does appear to minimise the importance of public questions, reduces accessibility and accountability, and may serve to decrease local democracy. We feel that Northumberland County Council would do well to follow the example of the other six city / borough / county Councils in the North East by scheduling questions from the public as an integral part of the full Council meeting.
Moving on to our question at this rather random “pre-meeting meeting”…..Many thanks to KONPNE supporter Ed Bober from Morpeth, who put the following question to the Council:
“What is Northumberland County Council doing to promote local participation and scrutiny of decision-making by Integrated Care Systems and to ensure that the Integrated Care Systems do not permit private sector representatives to participate in decision making on its board, committees, or other bodies with delegated powers?”
Given that it was a pre-meeting meeting, there is no official video record from Northumberland County Council and, unless we have missed it, there appears to be no link to public questions and responses on the Council website….. the record of the proceedings is all….. very… vague. Rest assured that our question did definitely happen!! …and there was definitely a response!! We have asked for a written copy of the Council response, and also details as to where public questions and responses may be viewed. Fortunately, a KONPNE supporter in the public gallery made a video, and this is posted here.
Read our commentary on the Northumberland meeting PLUS…… How does your Council shape up…….? Click here to read about our questions to seven full Council meetings across the region this year….
Ist September 2022 – KONPNE speaks
Our monthly meeting tonight – and much discussed; click here to read the notes from the meeting.
Meetings always take place on the first Thursday of the month at 7pm via Zoom – please join us on 6th October. Everyone is welcome. More information about the meeting and the Zoom link is here.
31st August 2022 – Help with our admin, monitoring and scrutiny
KONPNE is a busy regional NHS campaign group – and we can do even more campaigning with your help….
There are a number of background routine tasks and jobs that need to be done – everyday tasks that keep the Campaign ticking over – but which are also VITAL in providing a strong structure for our campaign work.
Some of these tasks are “one-off” and others are monthly commitments – but each one would take less than an hour or two… honest. Please contact us at konpnortheast@gmail.com if you are able to assist and wish for more information – we will provide the support and information to help you get started….
This month, we need help with
> updating our email address list of all Councillors in the North East (going on to the Council websites, and updating our word doc, so that we have email contacts for all new Councillors post-May 2022), This is a one off job!
>New “North East and North Cumbria ICS Board” – one or two people to research the meeting joining process, observe (online) the new ICS Board meeting, and feedback to our October meeting
> Research the “North East and North Cumbria ICS” strategy / operational policy / aims
> Our blog (on this website here) needs an injection of energy – please be a “one off” guest contributor and write about your NHS and campaign-related thoughts / reflections / experiences and musings. Maybe you have attended an event recently, or have reflections on campaigning
> Our campaigning in the North East primarily covers five local authorities (Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead and County Durham….Sunderland KONP cover Sunderland, and Save South Tyneside Hospital Campaign covers South Tyneside) …..PLUS there are a number of meetings (as yet unspecified) connected to the new Integrated Care System. We need one person from each of the five areas to keep a monthly check / have a general awareness of their Council and NHS minutes and meetings, and to keep us updated regarding discussions and decisions regarding the NHS in their area, as identified in these minutes. This monthly task is more straight-forward (and not as onerous) as it sounds! Please contact us for more info if you are able to help with this valuable work.
4th August 2022 – Monthly KONPNE meeting
Another lively Campaign discussion and planning meeting this evening – notes from the meeting are here – these are open and available for all to read.
Our next meeting will take place on Thursday 1st September 2022 – always the first Thursday of the month at 7pm . All are welcome, and more information is here
3rd August 2022 – Email to Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board, North Tyneside Council
Given the three shameful “responses” (if you can call them that) from North Tyneside Council (see 22nd July 2022, below), KONPNE has today emailed Cllr Karen Clark, Chair of North Tyneside Health and Wellbeing Board, regarding our original question which, to date, has remained unanswered. We have also copied in all North Tyneside Councillors, and have provided details about our concerns. We will update all of our supporters when a reply is received.
Our email to Cllr Clark is here, and the information sheet which spells out our concerns is here
22nd July 2022 – Three unsatisfactory responses from North Tyneside Council – KONPNE members are following this up
North Tyneside Council, democracy and the NHS – is there anyone at home? Or is it all smoke and mirrors?
On 11th July 2022, KONPNE submitted a question to North Tyneside Council, for their response at the full Council meeting scheduled for 21st July 2022. This followed Council protocols around transparency and accountability. Our question to the Council centred around the new “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System”, which is now responsible for making decisions about treatments and commissioning health services in this geographical area – there are huge concerns about the ICS and the impact on local democracy and the further privatisation of the NHS.
NOT ONLY (1) have North Tyneside Council seen fit to disallow, without reason, our question at the July 2022 Council Meeting (see below, scroll to 14th July), AND (2) have totally ignored our subsequent request that this decision be reconsidered (click here – we are still awaiting a reply) …. BUT ALSO (3) they have now followed this up with a totally inadequate and disturbing written response.
Whilst we expected a considered reply to our question about the Integrated Care System (ICS) from a Councillor, one of our elected representatives, instead we have received an anonymous “response” from the NT Council HQ at Silverlink. Forwarded to us by a Personal Assistant to the Director of Children’s and Adult Services, it would be good to know who actually wrote this response, as it does appear to reflect a copy and paste job from the ICS website, coupled with a reluctance to respond to (or attempt to side-step) our actual questions, and ending with what appears to be a very disturbing total disregard for the future of our NHS.
There are only 4 Local Authority representatives on the Integrated Care Board (ICB), despite the ICS covering 14 Local Authorities across North Cumbria and the North East – and 3 of these reps are unelected Council Officers…..so much for democracy? The response received from North Tyneside Council gives the impression that there is absolutely nothing amiss. We believe that representation at this level is important, as the ICB has ultimate authority regarding all future health contracts across the region, and sets the tone and direction of travel. It is also important to note that the ICB comprises people appointed by the Chair (who is, himself, appointed by NHS England) and, so, our one Councillor is the one and only elected representative of 3 million people across North Cumbria and the North East – we hope that s/he factors in some time for sleep at night. Obviously, tokenism springs to mind. We believe that the ICB should include a Councillor from each Local Authority, not just one representative covering all 14 Local Authorities.
And, of course, our fundamental concern is around the ongoing insidious privatisation of our NHS. It is totally unacceptable to read the dismissive statement in the final paragraph from North Tyneside Council that it will “continue to use its influence to ensure that contracts are awarded to providers who will deliver the best services to the residents of the borough”. There is NOTHING in the NT Council response to confirm the Councils commitment to a publicly-funded and publicly provided NHS. The North East and North Cumbria ICS Constitution should include a clear commitment that NHS providers be the default providers of health services, care and treatment and, as contracts with private sector companies come up for renewal, the default position is that they be awarded to NHS providers. We believe that our Councils and Councillors need to be clear in their support for this stance.
Our original questions remain unanswered by North Tyneside Council:
What is North Tyneside Council doing to promote local participation and scrutiny of decision-making by the ICS and to ensure that the ICS does not permit private sector representatives to participate in decision making on its board, committees, or other bodies with delegated powers?
What will North Tyneside Council do to encourage the ICS to end the outsourcing and privatisation of NHS services?
Our original statement and question to North Tyneside Council is here and the North Tyneside Council response is here. We believe that the Councils response is shameful and we are, of course, following this up. We will keep you informed.
More information about “Integrated Care Systems”, private sector involvement, the composition of the Board, our Campaign so far, and about “North East and North Cumbria ICS” in particular is here.
18th July 2022 – Message received – loud and clear
We need the new “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” signed up to the pledge – no private companies on ICS Boards. Members of KONPNE were pleased to join in with the “We Own It” initiative and, in total, a HUGE 1,562 people (1,501 by electronic letter and 61 in writing) across the NE and Cumbria contacted the Chair of the new Board to demand the pledge: NO PRIVATE COMPANIES ON ICS BOARDS.
The message was received loud and clear by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chair of the Board, who recently left a message on their new ICS website – click here
The message makes interesting reading, but no absolute assurance – there is a “let-out clause”….
and scroll to Part 10 to read more about our huge concerns about the composition of the ICS Board, and specifically about the let out clause. This is a fundamental issue, and a principle is at stake – the ICS is now responsible for commissioning all healthcare in our region.
A start has been made. A huge number of people in the North East and Cumbria now know about this issue, hundreds have contacted the ICS about it, and NENC ICS know that we are closely scrutinising their operational structures and decision-making processes. There is absolutely no place for private sector healthcare on ICS Boards and Committees.
14th July 2022 – North Tyneside Councillors in hiding??
Given all the difficulties associated with the “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System”, we submitted a question on 12th July 2022 for the North Tyneside Council meeting scheduled for 21st July – but received an email response from the Council on 13th July 2022, stating that our question was not accepted for the Council meeting and will be referred to Council officers for a response.
“The Chair of Council considered your question for the Council meeting 21 July 2022 and decided that it be referred to officers to respond to you directly. Your question will NOT be considered at the meeting next week”.
Strange…. but true. Of course, we have immediately emailed the Council on 14th July for more information about this decision. We feel that it is our democratic right to put questions to our elected representatives at a full Council meeting, and we await their response. We will keep you updated.
In the interim, click here to read our VERY REASONABLE and APPROPRIATE question to North Tyneside Council, and click here for information about ICSs. BTW, North Tyneside Council please note: Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle Councils have all provided responses to our questions…. scroll down to 6th July and 22nd June.
11th July 2022 – NHS; Rain AND shine
A message to poet Harry Gallagher and musician JohnE Thornton: A person at the “Keep Our NHS Public” rally at the Monument in Newcastle upon Tyne on Sat 2nd July says that you were both superb. Unfortunately she couldn’t shelter in a shop doorway when the heavens opened during the poetry set BUT, out of respect, she just stood there and got soaked. She said when she walked away her clothes were slapping against her. She was meeting her daughter in a café for lunch and, before that, she needed to go and buy £50 worth of new DRY clothes. Fandom can be expensive!!
KONPNE: To the person at the Rally – it is GREAT that you were there…..and stayed!! KEEP IN TOUCH – We need to KEEP OUR NHS PUBLIC, rain AND shine….
Harry and JohnE – as always – THANKYOU
FULL REPORT on the Rally?? Scroll down to 2nd July!!
9th July 2022 – Durham Miners Gala
The Durham Miners Gala returned after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2022 Gala was dedicated to all key workers – carers and bus drivers, delivery workers and nurses, shop staff and teachers, everyone who had risked (and still are risking) their lives to keep society functioning throughout the pandemic and beyond.
Over the past five Gala’s, supporters of KONPNE have distributed KONP leaflets and Health Campaigns Together newspapers across the site and helped at the Health Campaigns Together stall, and this year was no exception. Although it was baking hot in the marquee, one of the happy perks of campaigning by the side of the stall was that it proved to be a focal point for all our NHS friends and supporters – local and from across the country – and also a place to make connections with people who, we know, we will work together with in the future…. here’s to the future….!
Holly Johnston, a nurse and member of the GMB Union, spoke to the Gala crowds. Holly has been a nurse for 18 years and is currently a nursing sister at a cancer hospital. She nursed cancer patients during the pandemic and she, herself, was hospitalised after she contracted Covid. She continues to suffer the effects of long Covid, and is still unable to return to her previous full-time hours. “I am extremely proud of the work all key workers do. It is people like us who have kept the country going, but we are now facing attacks on our conditions. There has never been a more important time to join a trade union. We must use our collective power to force change” – Holly Johnston.
7th July 2022 – KONPNE meeting
Monthly campaign meeting for KONPNE – always the first Thursday of the month @ 7pm….
The notes from this meeting are here – these are open, and available for all to read!!
The next meeting will take place on Thursday 4th August at 7pm – ALL WELCOME!
Further information and Zoom codes are here
6th July 2022 – Formal question at full City Council meeting – Newcastle
Further to our report below (22nd June 2022), NHS campaigner and Newcastle resident Clare Bethell continued KONPNE’s planned sequence of putting formal questions to seven Councils in the North East. The aim is to determine each Councils stance on the new North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (NENC ICS), which is responsible for commissioning all health care in the region, as from 1st July 2022. We have massive concerns about this new system – see our webpage here.
Clare put the following question to Newcastle City Council at tonights full council meeting:
“I speak on behalf of “Keep Our NHS Public North East”.
Further to the deeply flawed Health and Care Act 2022, “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” is responsible for commissioning all healthcare for the City of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1st July this year. There are potentially a number of problematic areas associated with the new Integrated Care System, and some of these difficulties may be addressed and remedied locally through attention to the wording of the Constitution of the new ” North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board”.
Issues that need to be clearly stated within the Constitution include
– the ICS commitment to maintain a comprehensive health service, free at the point of need, and accessible to all residing in the area
– the need to exclude representatives from private sector organisations on any ICS board or committee
– a commitment that NHS providers are the default providers of health services
– vigorous scrutiny, transparency and accountability with all new contracts
– a commitment that anyone who needs emergency care while present in Newcastle will receive the necessary treatment, whether or not they are registered with a GP in the area
– a commitment that the Integrated Care Board will include a Councillor from each local authority and representatives from the range of health professionals and patient groups; this will uphold local democracy and transparency
– a commitment to hold all meetings of Boards and Committees in public, making papers available, and welcoming questions from the public
– the requirement for the full assessment of health and care needs, and availability of social supports, prior to a patients discharge from hospital
– the need for all NHS providers within the area to adhere to nationally agreed pay, terms and conditions, as negotiated with NHS staff Unions
I would be grateful if you would please outline what Newcastle City Council is doing to promote these issues when in contact with officers of the Integrated Care System, and please confirm that Newcastle City Council upholds the principle that the NHS must be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of use and based on the clinical needs of patients – not on the new Integrated Care Boards financial considerations.”
Councillor Karen Kilgour, Deputy Leader of the Council, replied on behalf of Newcastle City Council. Councillor Kilgour confirmed that the Council has a role to play regarding the ICS, but no power to set commitments on behalf of the ICS. She confirmed that Newcastle City Council does have some influence as to how the ICS evolves, and have suggested amendments to the Constitution of the new ICS. She confirmed opposition to any privatisation of the NHS and charging of any form, and confirmed that the move to the ICS won’t change peoples right to treatment in the city – people in the city who need emergency treatment will be able to access it, regardless of address. Councillor Kilgour stated how she has raised many issues and concerns regarding the ICS via the Local Government Association, and will continue to do so.
Clare Bethell, KONPNE campaigner, concluded her question with the following statement:
“We are aware that plans from NHS England outline a much-reduced Councillor and public involvement in decision-making regarding our future health services. This is a huge cause of concern as this does, of course, lead to a direct reduction in local democracy. This situation is both appalling and a disgrace. Please know that we, as Newcastle residents, want a publicly-funded and publicly-provided NHS, and that we support and expect our Councillors to stand up, to ask awkward questions, and to fight to protect our NHS. As from yesterday, we have all benefitted from 74 years of public healthcare – and we need our Councillors, now, to play your part in ensuring that the NHS remains for future generations. Thank you.”
KONPNE awaits Councillor Kilgours above response in writing, and will link her response in full here. The meeting was livestreamed, and this may be viewed on Youtube here (go to minute 18.16 in the bottom right hand corner of the Youtube screen). To reiterate: “KONPNE supports and expects our Councillors to stand up, to ask awkward questions, and to fight to protect our NHS.”
2nd July 2022 – Morpeth celebrates and protests
Excellent joint work by KONP / Morpeth and Pegswood Labour Party Branch – a great joint team action, out and about in Morpeth to celebrate 74 years of NHS healthcare – and to protest some of the key features of the new “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” (NENC ICS). This new body is now responsible for all health commissioning in the region and, yes, not many people had heard about it….
There was an excellent response from the Morpeth public – all leaflets went, the NHS birthday card was covered in messages, and many people scanned the poster/board’s QR codes and sent emails on the spot to the Chair of the new NENC ICS. Unsurprisingly, many people were outraged. It’s OUR NHS. It is not, as yet, totally privatised – but this new ICS holds many dangers.
For info about “Integrated Care Systems” – go to our ICS page here
Does your party or group want to get involved / need a speaker at your Zoom / require more information??? Contact KONPNE at konpnortheast@gmail.com
2nd July 2022 – The Integrated (?) Care (?) System (?) commences in the North East and Cumbria
Yesterday saw the start of the deeply flawed and curiously named “Integrated Care System” – it is a sad day that we now no longer have a “National Health Service” but, instead, 42 localised and stand-alone “health systems”….. together with their much baggage and many, many problems – see here
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System is now responsible for commissioning all healthcare across the region – a “development” which is hugely significant but one which is not widely known nor reported on.
So…to inform and enlighten…health campaigners and community organisations took it upon themselves and were out in force in Newcastle-upon-Tyne city centre, to get across HUGE concerns. Hosted by “Keep Our NHS Public North East”, we thank speakers from a wide range of community organisations – Dr Helen Groom (Patients Not Passports), John Harrison (Disabled People Against Cuts), Sean Fahey (North East Pensioners Association), Angela Robinson (NHS Nurse – retired), Caitlin Southern (North East Peoples Assembly), Dr Gerard Reissmann (Newcastle GP – retired), Jan Shortt (General Secretary, National Pensioners Convention) and Jude Letham (Keep Our NHS Public North East). Watch this space and our social media for quotations and resumes of the speeches. Many thanks, one and all.
North East Poet Harry Gallagher was, of course, greeted very warmly. His book “Northern Lights” is a love letter to the people of the North, a region often buffeted and battered by stormy conditions – this new “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” being no exception. Harry Gallagher, the People’s Poet, engaged the crowd with his dry humour, brutal honesty, and passionate conviction...and, starting and ending the rally, we were also very fortunate to welcome musician JohnE Thornton. JohnE has worked in the NHS for 10 years, and is now well-known on the Newcastle and coastal scene for the music gigs he hosts and plays in. Many, many thanks to both Harry and JohnE.
We mustn’t forget that Tuesday next week marks 74 years of healthcare from our NHS. There is no celebratory gateau this year…we reckon 42 separately baked, cut-price cupcakes would be a more accurate motif….but that menu can be changed. Please sign the petition, email the Chair of the ICS, liaise with your local Councillor, contact your MP, link up with your Healthwatch, get involved in our actions and speak up – we need to fight to reinstate our NHS.
….and, so, it is now over to all people living and working in the NE to get involved with the Campaign and to continue the fight in this region. Click here for details of the Integrated Care System….and please be active – click here to find details about our forthcoming Campaigns.
If you want an NHS, you need to be an NHS activist.
26th June 2022 – HUGE CONCERNS: KONPNE contacts Chair of NE Integrated Care System
There are, of course, HUGE concerns regarding the curiously-named “Integrated Care System” – a misnomer, if ever there was one.
It is a sad day indeed that there is no longer a unified national health service but, rather, a collection of 42 separate health divisions across England, each responsible for making decisions about treatments and commissioning services for their geographical area. “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” (NENC ICS) is now responsible, as from 1st July this year, for the healthcare in the North East.
to read todays email from Jude Letham (KONPNE Co-ordinator) to Sir Liam Donaldson (Chair of NENC ICS), with cc to Sam Allen (Chief Exec, NENC ICS)
and
for our ICS webpage. It is crucial that we all stand up for the NHS regarding this.
22nd June 2022 – Formal questions to two full Council meetings – Durham and Sunderland
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (NENC ICS) is responsible for commissioning all health care in the region, from 1st July 2022. We have massive concerns about this new system – see our webpage here.
NHS campaigners in the North East are putting formal questions to seven North East councils to determine each Councils stance on this development – given that the ICSs are under instruction from NHS England, our local Councillors are our representatives regarding this new programme, and we need to ensure that they are accountable in standing up for our NHS.
We started off with Durham County Council this morning, and also Sunderland City Council this afternoon.
KONPNE campaigner Dr Lawrence Welch presented the following to Durham County Council – click here for the Council papers and the link to watch the stream via youtube.
“I speak on behalf of “Keep Our NHS Public North East”.
Further to the Health and Care Act 2022, “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” will be responsible for commissioning all healthcare for County Durham from the beginning of July this year, and I am aware that plans from NHS England outline a much-reduced Councillor and public involvement in decision-making regarding our future health services.
Please outline what Durham County Council is doing to promote local participation and scrutiny regarding decision-making, and please confirm that Durham County Council upholds the principle that the NHS must be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of use and based on the clinical needs of patients – not on the new Integrated Care Boards financial considerations”.
The audio quality on the IT livestream was very poor (on our laptop, at least), so we wait until receipt of the Council minutes to see the exact response…but we were able to make out that the Council claims that they are working towards enabling as much commissioning and resources as possible at the County Durham level, were engaged with the Integrated Care System at a County level, and were also involved in an Integrated Care Plan with South Tyneside, Sunderland and the ICS. The person speaking on behalf of Durham County Council concluded that they are “engaged positively with the ICS”.
Laura Murrell, Secretary of Sunderland and District KONP submitted the following question to Sunderland City Council – click here for the Council papers and here for the link to to the live stream
“The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” (NENC ICS) will be responsible for commissioning all healthcare for Sunderland from the 1st July 2022.
I believe it will result in a much-reduced involvement by councillors and the public in decision-making regarding our future health services. However, private companies can be members of the ICS Board and its other bodies, so they will be able to participate in decisions about how the ICS budget is spent and what services will be delivered to whom and by whom, increasing their influence and making it more likely that they will provide NHS services.
Please could you explain what Sunderland City Council is doing to promote local participation and scrutiny regarding decision-making by the ICS; to ensure that the ICS does not permit private sector representatives to participate in decision making on its board, committees or other bodies with delegated powers; and what it can do to encourage the ICS to end the outsourcing and privatisation of NHS services.”
A response was made by Councillor Kelly Chequer, on behalf of Sunderland City Council. Councillor Chequer confirmed that there will be no private sector representation on the Integrated Care System Board in this region and that there are, indeed, seats for four local government representatives. Involvement in local decision-making and health scrutiny are in place, as is involvement with the regional Integrated Care Partnership with Sunderland, South Tyneside and Durham. Councillor Chequer confirmed that she has written to Sam Allen (CEO of North East and North Cumbria ICS) to confirm the need for a genuine involvement in healthcare planning.
===
….. so, there is much for Councillors (and Campaigners) to follow up on. We await the verbatim responses from the two Councillors, and will report on these and link these here. There are, of course, huge outstanding issues and concerns regarding the new “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” – see here – and it is crucial that Durham, Sunderland and all North East Councils engage with the ICS and fight to retain the NHS.
Great work by KONPNE campaigner and Durham resident Dr Lawrence Welch, and by NHS campaigner Laura Murrell, Secretary of Sunderland and District KONP.
>> Next up is KONPNE campaigner and Newcastle resident Clare Bethell who plans to present a question to Newcastle City Council on Wednesday 6th July at 6pm – Clare and the KONPNE team are in the process of formulating the question and will let you know when this has been accepted. Watch this space.
18th June 2022 – Who’s NHS? OUR NHS
KONPNE and thousands make it clear to Johnson et al… It’s OUR NHS and we NEED to keep it PUBLIC. Proud to support the TUC Demo in London yesterday
11th June 2022 – Campaigning by Metro
PROUD TO STAND UP FOR THE NHS on the WE OWN IT day of action on Saturday. IT IS OUR NHS – not big business / American corporations / multinationals with shareholders….. Tyneside campaigners travelled the Metro with stops at Whitley Bay, North Shields and Byker….and gaining many more signatures for the email to the Chair of “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” (the body now responsible for health contracts in the NE). We need to keep private corporations away from NHS Boards.
HAVE YOU SIGNED?????? NOT TOO LATE – CLICK ON OUR “INTEGRATED CARE SYSTEM” PAGE HERE AND SCROLL TO ACTION 2 ….. IT WILL TAKE YOU 2 MINUTES!!!!
6th June 2022 – Demanding Better; Join the Fightback
Many thanks to Peoples Assembly North East for inviting KONPNE to speak at the public meeting this evening. alongside John Harrison (Disabled people Against Cuts), Fran Heathcote (Public and Commercial Services Union) and John Woodhouse (Communication Workers Union).
Solidarity. NO to cuts and privatisation.
Peoples Assembly is one of our longstanding campaign partners, and does a great job in encouraging joint actions amongst organisations in the North East.
2nd June 2022 – KONPNE meeting
Monthly campaign meeting for KONPNE – always the first Thursday of the month @ 7pm….
Please click here for the notes from this meeting – these are open, and available for all to read.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday 7th July at 7pm – ALL WELCOME!
Further information and Zoom codes are here
14th May 2022 – Shut Hassockfield Down
It’s time we made the UK a welcoming, supportive and kind place that welcomes those who are forcibly displaced, no matter where they come from. No one chooses to be a refugee. The health needs of refugees can be considerable, given recent trauma, displacement and separation, and places such as Hassockfield serve to intensify symptoms. It is time the Government abolishes its hostile policies, and closing immigration prisons like these is the first step in doing so.
It was important for supporters of KONPNE to be present today and to stand in solidarity with many other groups and individuals against this abhorrent facility.
Mary Kelly Foy, MP for the City of Durham: “I am fundamentally opposed to the detention of vulnerable refugees. Instead of this dehumanising process, I echo the call of human rights activists that asylum claims should be resolved in the community without the trauma of detention.”
Agnes Tanoh, “Women for Refugee Women”, started a petition against the new detention centre that has now been signed by over 16,700 people. She said: “I know how detention destroys a woman, because I was locked up for over three months at Yarl’s Wood detention centre, before the Government accepted that I am a refugee. I witnessed the suffering of vulnerable women while I was there. The Government promised to reduce its use of detention because of the harm it causes, but they broke this promise by opening Derwentside detention centre – the first one to open in over seven years. Protest is an act of solidarity. Together we have one strong and loud voice”.
CLICK HERE for the No to Hassockfield Campaign, HERE for the report in the Northern Echo, HERE for the video from Rochelle, and HERE for our NHS and Migration website page
12th May 2022 – KONPNE speaks
It is always good to catch up with like-minded people at our monthly KONPNE campaign meeting. The agenda tonight comprised information and planning around a huge range of NHS-related issues. One thing is for sure – we are never stuck for issues to talk about. Please click here for the notes from our meeting – including updates on Hassockfield protest, Durham Gala, TUC march and rally, local groups, petitions, questions to local councils, Integrated Care Systems, and more….
Our next meeting will take place on Thursday 2nd June – all welcome, and please click here for details.
23rd April 2022 – Three questions to put to candidates in the forthcoming Council elections
Knock knock….
At this time of the year, we can guess who’s there….
Here’s three key questions to put to prospective Councillors – or, indeed, all Councillors even if they are not facing an election this year….and if there is no knock on the door, please click here for email addresses of current Councillors….
WE NEED COUNCILLORS WHO ARE ACTIVE IN PROTECTING OUR NHS!!
a) What will you do to encourage local NHS commissioning services to keep healthcare within the NHS? (Over the last decade, £96 billion has been paid to private companies for NHS services – privatisation puts profits before patients).
b) How will you work to increase democracy in local health structures? (The Health and Care Bill reduces the contributions of councillors and local people on NHS decision-making bodies)
c) What are you doing to fight for fair pay for all NHS staff? (The current pay offer of 3% is derisory and unacceptable. It is not surprising that there are 100,000 vacancies in the NHS – an average nurse in the UK has lost 20% of income over the past 10 years)
….and please let us know responses at konpnortheast@gmail.com – thank you!
20th April 2022 – Order NOW!!
𝐍𝐇𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐆𝐄 The fight to save it in the age of Covid – Edited by John Lister (Health Campaigns Together) and Jacky Davis (KONP), with a foreword by Michael Rosen….
14th April 2022 – “Rebuild Our NHS” Campaign – out and about in Wallsend and Tynemouth
Further to the KONPNE Campaign meeting last week, today saw our first leafletting session of the “Rebuild Our NHS” campaign. We made a very good start in Wallsend town centre and in Tynemouth – and the challenge now is for much further distribution, far and wide. We need your help.
Please click here to order free leaflets from “We Own It” – these will be posted to your address, for you to deliver to houses in your street or locality, or for you to distribute via an organisational street stall, etc.
You can read up on the background to ICSs on our website here and remember: If we don’t fight to protect our NHS, we will always lose. But if we fight we have a chance of winning.
14th April 2022 – Socialist Health Association
Great to be invited to speak at tonights SHA North East meeting, alongside Coral Jones from London. Much discussion and many ideas generated regarding possible ways forward, especially with regard to challenging some of the issues associated with the proposed Integrated Care System. It will be great to carry out further Campaign work together in the future.
7th April 2022 – Monthly KONPNE campaign meeting
Discussions and planning regarding the “We Own It” Rebuild Our NHS campaign, Integrated Care Systems, asking questions at forthcoming Full Council meetings, Livi, digital access to health, Hassockfield and TUC demonstrations, and the start of a KONPNE activists WhatsApp group = a busy meeting. The notes from this meeting are here – these are open and available for all to read.
Our next monthly meeting will take place on Thursday 12th May at 7pm via Zoom – this is a week later than usual due to the local elections. Please join with us – all welcome. Further information about this meeting and details for joining via Zoom is here.
2nd April 2022 – Cost of Living March and Rally, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Today’s Cost of Living Crisis demonstrations is the fourth in a series of protests organised by the People’s Assembly, and supported by trade unions, community, and campaign groups, including KONPNE. As the Tories’ cost of living crisis continues, we continue to protest.
We must not let the Tory government make us pay for their Cost Of Living Crisis – collectively we must continue to fight back and force the changes we need.
Crucial that we join forces to keep up the pressure on the government.
Many thanks to North East Peoples Assembly for organising. Contact: peoplesassemblyne@gmail.com
Read the report in the Chronicle here
24th March 2022 – Rebuild Our NHS; Get Private Profiteers Out
Great that John Whalley, KONPNE Steering Group member, was invited to speak as one of the panellists at the national launch of the new “We Own It” Campaign. Rebuild our NHS is one of the most ambitious campaigns ever launched by WOI, and will enable unprecedented pressure to be placed on local NHS leaders to kick private companies out of local NHS bodies and put local people first.
Locally, this Campaign will involve supporting people in the North East and North Cumbria to send 3000 emails to the chair of the “North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System” (ICS) + leafletting + newspaper and radio coverage. The same actions will also take place, regionally, with regard to the other 41 ICSs across England.
At the national launch rally this evening, NHS campaigners from across the country spoke about why action on the local level is effective. Pamela Sloan who helped stop the closure of a local A&E in Chorley reminded us: “mosquitoes are tiny, but together they can run a mighty buffalo mad”. Len Hockey, a Unite workplace rep, spoke about how they won their fight to get Serco-employed hospital workers in London insourced into the NHS just last month. Mike Forster and Louise Irvine spoke about how they won fights in Huddersfield (West Yorkshire) and in Lewisham (South East London) respectively, to save their local hospitals. Speaking about health campaigning in the North East, John Whalley highlighted the recent successful “SOS NHS” day of action; the event, at Longsands, Tynemouth, centred around raising public awareness and engagement, and involved speakers, local musicians, poets and public participation in a “sand sculpture” – this beach event was a “first” for KONPNE….
KONPNE will be prioritising the Rebuild Our NHS Campaign over the next few weeks. To get involved immediately, please use this link https://weownit.org.uk/find-my-nhs then add your postcode and send the prepared email to the ICS chair….and please share this link with your family, friends, colleagues and contacts on your social media too. KONPNE will also be arranging some local events to get this message out to the public – we will let you know places and times.
9th March 2022 – Surfing in North Tyneside?
Moving away from Longsands to a very different kind of surfing….North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group has recently commissioned Northumbria University to carry out a survey relating to residents access to digital technology. The researchers comment that “we want to gather as much information on digital technology use to inform a digital plan for North Tyneside. This information will also be used to help to shape how people access future services. When referring to digital technology, we mean the devices used to access the internet, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, smart speakers, etc.”
Whilst there is a place for digital technology in public services, it is crucial that quality of healthcare is not undermined. The prolonged underfunding of the NHS, staff shortages, and the ongoing cuts to services, coupled with the Covid pandemic, have all impacted on the NHS, and the increased use of digital technology must not be used as an inadequate quick-fix. Nor must it be used as a backdoor for increased NHS privatisation. We are aware that, in early 2020, the very same North Tyneside CCG awarded the private company “Livi” an initial contract to carry out virtual consultations in Primary Care. This company has very recently been given a 5 year contract, and all is undoubtedly part of a very slippery privatisation slope: Livi claims to be Europe’s largest digital healthcare provider – see here.
Question 34 is freetext, and supporters of KONPNE have recorded their huge concern about the health inequalities that may be heightened through increased digital technology (some patients can’t use such technology, or can’t afford to use it), the decreased continuity of care brought about through virtual consultations with private health companies, and the misdiagnoses (symptoms are more accurately assessed at a face-to-face consultation). And, of course, the reality that many digital healthcare platforms are underpinned by finance from private companies, all eager to placate the shareholder… Other supporters may wish to highlight these and other important issues.
5th March 2022 – We Won’t Pay for the Crisis
Click here for the news coverage and video from The Chronicle
4th March 2022 – Some excellent news….
KONPNE sends huge congratulations to the striking workers at Barts Hospital who have now won their long fight to be brought back in house. Hundreds of cleaners, porters, security guards and domestic staff are to benefit from NHS pay, terms and conditions – these staff will be transferred across to join the existing Barts Health staff as NHS employees under the Agenda for Change (AfC) conditions – clickherefor info.
Outsourced workers at St George’s Hospital have also won sick pay alongside their NHS colleagues after prolonged pressure from the GMB union too.
The truth is that campaigning works, Government’s and organisations can and often are forced to make U-Turns and are occasionally even pushed from office. Public consciousness can and does frequently shift and arguments are won.
Never give up the fight….
3rd March 2022 – KONPNE speaks
Wide-ranging discussions and planning at tonights meeting – feedback on the “SOS NHS” campaign and actions of last Saturday, updates on the Health and Care Bill and a possible refocus away from the Parliamentary process and onto local “Integrated care Systems”, North Tyneside CCG survey, Patients Not Passports update, discussion around campaign funds, and dates for future speakers and rallies. It’s looking like a busy Spring and Summer ahead! The notes from this meeting are here – open for all to read.
Our next meeting will take place on Thursday 7th April at 7pm via Zoom – please join with us – all welcome. Further information about this meeting and details for joining via Zoom is here.
Congratulations to all at the KONP Sunderland and District group for this absolutely amazing piece of artwork!!
Created as part of the SOS NHS national Day of Action, this took residents and visitors to Seaburn by surprise, and led to many conversations.
Whose NHS?
#OURNHS
to read the article in the Shields Gazette
TO #OURNHS, with 
from Tynemouth
All Photos with kind permission of Mark Husmann
Part of the SOS NHS national Day of Action (click here for details),
WE DEMAND:
(1) Approve emergency funding of £20 billion to save lives this winter
(2) Invest in a fully publicly owned NHS & guarantee free healthcare for future generations
(3) Pay staff properly: without fair pay, staffing shortages will cost lives
Organised and supported by local residents and by “Keep Our NHS Public North East”, the beach event at Tynemouth was a first for KONPNE!!
A celebration of #OURNHS, but with a very serious message relayed through a mix of superb music, poetry, speeches and a HUGE human sculpture in the sand for #OURNHS….all buffeted by a gentle wind, much sun (especially early on) and a little chill (especially towards the end). Many thanks to all who turned up to make the event so successful…..
Speeches:
**Dr Helen Groom (Retired GP, NHS campaigner and member of the “No to Hassockfield Campaign”) **Julia Charlton (Retired Nurse Tutor / Academic) **message from Gail Ward (Disabled People Against Cuts / Protect Tynedale NHS) **Joe Kirwin (Councillor and chair of North Tyneside health scrutiny committee) **William Jarrett (Unite, Newcastle Hospitals Branch) **message from a GP **Tony Dowling (North East Peoples Assembly) **Sean Fahey (North East Pensioners Association) **Jude Letham (Keep Our NHS Public North East)
Poetry:
**Harry Gallagher – Cullercoats poet. His book “Northern Lights” is a love letter to the people of the North, a region often buffeted and battered by stormy conditions but which in the end always prevails
**Joan Hewitt (Award-winning Tynemouth poet. Joan read a poem by Michael Rosen, whose treatment during a Covid- induced coma and long recovery left him with enormous gratitude to NHS staff.
fantastic acoustic sets:
**Pete Shaw – Artist and singer songwriter, Pete has appeared at the Cambridge Folk Festival, Brampton Live, WOMAD and many other festivals and venues across the UK. He is locally loved for his brilliant guitar- playing , warmth and cheeky humour
**Jimmy Ince – well-known and loved on the northeast music scene for his acoustic versions of standards, recents and rap, all delivered with a highly-individual twist.
and special thanks to:
**Mark Husmann – photographer extraordinaire
**Joan Hewitt – for boundless energy in event planning and organisation
to read the report from Chronicle Online
WE DEMAND:
(1) Approve emergency funding of £20 billion to save lives this winter
(2) Invest in a fully publicly owned NHS & guarantee free healthcare for future generations
(3) Pay staff properly: without fair pay, staffing shortages will cost lives
The details of local North East events planned by KONPNE will be posted here (if your group or organisation is also planning an event for the Day of Action, please let us know, and we will be pleased to publicise)
Kill The Bill National Day of Action – Rally at the Monument, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Is there anything more deserving of protest than a plan to infringe the right to protest?
Voting on the Police and Crime Bill takes place in the Lords next week and THIS BILL MUST BE STOPPED. KONPNE were proud to speak at the Kill The Bill Rally in Newcastle today, and many thanks to North East Peoples Assembly, Stand Up to Racism North East, Resist Ncl and Extinction Rebellion North East for organising the event. A great turn out – and, now, we expect our representatives in London to do the right thing by voting to uphold democracy and human rights.
Jude Letham, Co-ordinator, spoke on behalf of KONPNE. Click here to watch (most of) the speech on video, and click here for a written version
Click here for more info about the Police and Crime Bill
KONPNE Co-ordinator Jude Letham speaks at the Kill the Bill Rally, 15th January 2022
Monthly meeting this evening – but much shortened (30 mins) and at an earlier time, so that supporters may attend the national KONP online rally. A brief discussion on plans to support the forthcoming climate change march and rally in Newcastle, plus updates on the campaigns re Livi and the Health and Care Bill.
Notes from the KONPNE meeting this evening are here
A link to the national KONP rally is here – some powerful speeches. Rally hosted by “Keep Our NHS Public”, “NHS Workers Say No” and “NHS Staff Voices”
All are welcome at the 2nd December KONPNE meeting – next month at the usual time of 7pm, and lasting for 1 hr 30mins – log in details are here. We meet on the first Thursday of every month.
This morning, KONPNE were proud to support the Newcastle group of “Patients Not Passports” in campaigning against the charging of asylum seekers and refugees for NHS services.
Pictured outside the iconic Whitley Bay Dome, Clare Bethell from the “Patients Not Passports” group said: “My work with asylum seekers with Care for Calais has shown me that migrants and asylum seekers in need of health care will not use the NHS for mental health issues, pregnancy or infectious diseases care because they know that they will be sent a bill for thousands of pounds. When they don’t pay, our hospital trusts send the debt collectors after them. When they try and register with GPs they are often asked for a myriad of documents to prove who they are and where they live, which they don’t have. They then become more unwell and need more care than they would have done. We must stop patient charging in the NHS and return to an NHS with no Borders.”
#patientsnotpassports #medact #nobordersinthenhs #refugeeswelcomehere #setherfree #migrantsorganise #careforcalais #NEAR
More information about the “Patients Not Passports” week of action is here and information about the Hostile Environment is on our webpage here
We will be taking part in the ‘We Own It’ Day of Action to oppose the “Health & Care Bill” (or “NHS Corporate Takeover Bill”, as it is more accurately known).
Find out more about the ‘We Own It’ Day of Action here
On Saturday 30th October, campaigners are asked to take a selfie (wearing a Richard Branson mask or vampire teeth) at a local landmark, alongside a message about private health companies sucking the life out of the NHS, and then to post it on social media with tags to ourselves.
….. or, alternatively, members of KONP North East Steering Group will be briefly visiting Blyth (10.30am), Consett (12.30pm) and Bishop Auckland (2pm) – please join us for a group photo – more details plus addresses (for photos) are on our events page here.
Find out more about the Bill on our website here
Photo: KONPNE action last year: Blood-sucking private companies at Grey’s Monument, Newcastle October 2020
Much discussed at tonights meeting, including further Campaign plans to fight against the provisions of the Health and Care Bill, and an update on Livi – the privatisation in North Tyneside Primary Care.
The notes from this meeting are here, and are open to all to read.
Our next meeting will take place on Thursday 4th November (always the first Thursday of the month) – details are here
Forming part of the national Day of Action called by the campaign group “We Own It”, members of “KONP North East” and “KONP Sunderland” met in a very hot and sunny Newcastle city centre, rolled up their sleeves, and demonstrated how the government’s new NHS legislation (The Health and Care Bill 2021) is a tug of war between private companies and our NHS in England. The usual suspects were represented – Centene, Virgin, Serco – plus the local newcomer, Livi, which is a private healthcare company offering virtual appointments in GP practices in North Tyneside….for info, Livi claims to be Europe’s largest digital healthcare provider….currently with a one-year contract in North Tyneside primary care…. This must be stopped.
Johnson was also at the Monument, attempting to appease NHS staff with a miserly 1%, and even HRH couldn’t help with the George medal; the medal was appreciated – but it doesn’t pay the bills…..
And our message was, obviously, well-received in the North East today. Huge thanks to people in Newcastle who jumped at the opportunity to join in and clearly knew which tug of war team to join. It is crucial that we continue to join forces to bring an end to the lucrative contracts to healthcare companies which, of course, involves a cut of the cash going to the pockets of shareholders. And, it is also crucial that the professionals who work in our NHS receive a fair wage – the 1% offer is, in short, an insult.
Some street theatre, but with a very serious message. Back in Parliament, the government is pushing ahead with its Health and Care Bill. The NHS needs us more than ever: this legislation includes so many dangerous changes….like letting PRIVATE COMPANIES sit on NHS boards, where they’ll have a say on people’s care and how NHS money is spent ?!?! Unbelievable – but true.
The NHS has just turned 73 – and if you want it to be with us for another 73 years, then this Bill must be amended. Write to your MP now, sign the petitions, download and share the leaflets: all at https://konpnortheast.com/ics/
