UPDATE: The Keep Our NHS Public petition is now live. Please sign and publicise it.
A week ago, I posted some comments on the government’s new epetitions system. Among other things, I reflected that no progressive petitions had yet been allowed that reflect what I perceive to be the feelings of the general public about the NHS. I had put forward “Keep our NHS Public” petition, but had yet heard nothing about it. Since then a few progressive petitions have been raised (Free Dental Care on NHS, Abolish NHS prescription charges and End Private Sector Involvement in Health and Social Care)
Having still heard nothing back, I have now re-submitted my original petition under the title of Keep our NHS public:
We call on the government to:
* Scrap the current Health and Social Care bill, as called for by the annual representative meeting of the British Medical Association.
* Commit to a comprehensive, publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Service, free at the point of use.
* Ensure best value for the tax payer by funding all new projects directly, rather than via PFI schemes.
* Recognise that promoting, or removing barriers to, competition, is not a valid part of the role of body regulating health services.
This time, I have received an acknowledgement by email, so hopefully I will be hearing something within the next 7 days. It may be that it is disallowed, being similar in several ways to the latter petition I linked to above, so in the meantime, let’s see if we can get that one to 100,000 signatures as quickly as the rather less progressive one to stop the benefits of people convicted of rioting.
