Dr David Wrigley

I have launched a survey tonight called the NHS Pledge. The idea is to get as much support as possible for four statements that support a fair and equitable NHS. The changes happening to our NHS are very worrying as I have outlined in my previous postings and I am hoping this survey will get huge support which will make politicians and policymakers sit up and listen. We really must do all we can to protect a fair and equitable NHS. I would be grateful if you could have a look at the survey and then forward the link on to anyone you know. The more support we can get the better. Please do send the link far and wide. This is the website link which you can click and also copy and paste in order to send on to friends via email. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NHSpledge Many thanks indeed, David

My sister lives in South Africa. A country with huge variations in standards of living. It is also a country with huge differences in health care . Some of this is due to the hangover from apartheid but they have a radically different system of healthcare in South Africa. High quality publicly provided and funded healthcare is a basic human necessity and it needs to be this way across the world - but sadly this is not the case. In South Africa there are 43 infant deaths per 1000 live births compared to 5 infant deaths per 1000 live births in the UK.  Average life expectancy is South Africa is 50 years whilst in the UK it is 80 years. I saw my sister last week for the first time in a few years and we decided to go out for a bite to eat. Just before we left she was rifling through her bag saying she had lost something. I asked her what she was looking for and she said she couldn't find her 'medical insurance card'. She told me this was the card she used to receive her h...

We have just seen a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies ( full report here ) which raised the issue of charging for NHS services and even for  GP appointments  - something that is roundly rejected by all those who wish to defend the NHS as a service available to all no matter what their background or income is.  All this flows from the constant political dogma we hear that the NHS is 'unaffordable' and 'we can't continue like this'. The NHS has been told to 'save' £20bn - we have never been given robust evidence or reasons for this and they are seen by many as cuts. The £20bn 'efficiency savings' as they are called, were initially instigated under the New Labour government  - a policy continued by the coalition. However the real reason for these austerity measures meted out on the NHS are now coming to light. On the day we were told the country  couldn't afford £2bn to care for our elderly  when they are at their most vulnera...