Health Follow

The crisis in the NHS becomes more urgent every week. Now James Johnson, head of the British Medical Association, has warned that the competitive market introduced by health secretary Patricia Hewitt is ruining the service.

The funding crisis that is forcing the closure of hospital wards and units across the country is meeting tough resistance from campaigners.

Phil Weinand is training to be a nurse, but he’s also a Tesco worker.

On Saturday 3 March thousands of people will protest against the health cuts that are causing increasingly bitter demonstrations against government policy.

One of the main hospitals expected to serve the central London Olympics site in 2012 – King George’s in Ilford – is being set up for closure of its front line emergency services as part of a £16 million cuts package being driven through by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals Trust.

New Labour’s smears Campaign group Health Emergency has challenged the government to identify a single one of the 29 major acute hospitals facing early closure or downgrading where the axing of key services isn’t being driven by a major deficit in the local NHS budget.

Everyone must add their voice to the clamour for a national protest to defend the NHS. Trade unions have been forced to raise the possibility of a demonstration and want to know how many people would come.

Hillingdon Hospital's Accident & Emergency department is being privatised without the knowledge of local people.

Walk into any high street chain bookstore these days and before very long you are likely to encounter a stand packed with books devoted solely to the subject of happiness.

Unison gives its blessing for national demonstration The Unison union’s health group executive last week voted to approach the NHS Together union coalition with a view to building a national demonstration with community groups on a Saturday at the end of March.

Health campaigners from across the country will gather in central London on Saturday 20 January for a national conference of the Keep Our NHS Public campaign.

Workers in the NHS Blood Service may strike over Christmas in their fight against the closure of 14 blood centres.