NHS privatisation by any other name

... is still not what the public want.

Remember someone saying "I'll cut the deficit not the NHS"?  Remember a coalition agreement that said "We will stop top down reorganisation of the NHS"?

I've blogged before on this and marched against it, but it's moving up the news agenda now.  You can now sign a petition that is localised to your MP*  We know that the government can change it's mind if enough people put pressure on.

I thought that Cameron's promises on the NHS didn't sound plausible at the time but I didn't think that within months there would be a full attack on the principles that the NHS stands for. 

I believe that the person deciding whether or not you get treatment shouldn't be working for a profit making company.  That's not because I have something against private companies - I work for one after all - but because it makes a difference to the way you make decisions.  That's fine if you are selling software or accountancy training courses.  It's not when you are making life and death decisions about people's healthcare. 

I also believe in a system that works for the whole country - I think it's right when there's criticism of people in different areas getting different access to treatment, whether for infertility or cancer.  But these 'reforms' will also make postcode lotteries the norm, rather than the exception.

What most people are most concerned about for the NHS is funding and cuts and how that will affect the care they receive.  I'm already finding my doctors surgery now rarely offers appointments within 48 hours and statistics are showing I'm not alone, and that hospital waiting times are going up.  This restructure won't help that, and instead will cost huge amounts of money - £1.4 billion is the current estimate.

This is something that moderate Conservatives and Liberal Democrats should feel able to oppose.  It wasn't in their manifestos, it is the opposite of what was in the coalition agreement

Concerns are being raised by groups including:  The British Medical Association, The Royal College of Surgeons, The Royal College of Nursing, The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, Unite and Unison, The Alzheimer’s Society, Asthma UK, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Diabetes UK, National Voices, Rethink, The British Heart Foundation and The Stroke Association.  Oh, and David Cameron's brother-in-law (a doctor in Basingstoke).

So time to sign the petition - have I made that point yet?


* amusingly the authors of this site say "We’re just a group of internet geeks in London that cares (sic) about the NHS...This is the Big Society at work."

Budget - my speech and info about cuts

I couldn't find a list of cuts in the online version of full council's agenda but you can see them here on p50 onwards as they were not, successfully, amended from those approved by the cabinet.  You'll see that children's services were particularly badly hit.

I spoke on the amendment to mandate the Chief Executive to find at least £500,000 savings(approximately 25%) from senior management posts and that once found that money to be ploughed back into children's services for schools and children's organisations working together in partnership.
My speech:
"This amendment repairs some of the damage of this short-sighted budget.  This Conservative-led administration is imposing the Conservative-led government's draconian cuts in a way that hugely damages key services.

Services that Reading's residents rely on.  Eric Pickles may approve.  We don't.

This is coupled with no imagination to modernise the council's management structure.  Even from the simplistic and flawed 'Your Money Your Say' consultation it should be apparent that Reading people don't want children and young people to bear the brunt of the cuts.  And lets be clear: under these proposals they are. 
This debate has avoided talking about the real services that people use, so I want to use some examples.
In our children's centres the parenting classes - which I have personal experience of - help us give the best start to our children.  They don't cost much but they make a big difference.
The nurseries that are currently making teachers and nursery nurses redundant.
In South Reading help is given to the most vulnerable children to make the move to school and to stay in education
Much of the support for children in the classroom with special educational needs
After school and youth clubs, we've heard a bit about them tonight, that give children a safe, positive environment for mixing and playing and learning - regardless of background.
The advice received by our teenagers at Connexions that help them in their choices in learning, work, preventing teenage pregnancy and promoting sexual and mental health.

There's been a lot of talk tonight about legacies.  These and many more are the legacy that a Labour government and Labour council have given our town.  All of this and more will be substantially reduced or stop altogether under these proposals.
These are drastic changes that reduce the chances for our young people to get on.
I am sure that all of us on the council want our young people in Reading to have more chances and better chances that their parents.  This budget attacks that hope.
The short-termism of this is profound.  Firstly of course the skills of our front line staff working with our communities will be lost to Reading as they take their expertise elsewhere or just plain lose their jobs.  Secondly and more  seriously the mess that this Conservative and Lid-dem administration will make will have long term consequences for our young people.
I want to share with you what an 18 year old said to me only yesterday*
"Won't it cost more in the end if more of us get pregnant, drop out of school or hang around outside the shops causing trouble?"
Well that 18 year old was right: prevention is better than cure - and it's cheaper too!
Our young people have only one chance at growing up, they need our support in making the right choices.
The Conservative-led government has no mandate for the choices it has made to attack our local services.  The Conservative-led council has no mandate for these choices it has made that attack young people's services.  We as a council need to stand up for our communities and our young people.  I urge all councillors to support this amendment.
Let's be Reading's representatives not Eric Pickle's poodles!


* I should point out that the same '18 year old' has since told me he has turned 19!

This amendment and the others proposed were of course voted down by the Conservatives and Liberal democrats.  I had actually thought they might accept it, since saving money in senior management (and the council in my view is becoming increasingly top-heavy, especially with the redundancies) which could then be reinvested in young people's services is surely a good idea.

'We got this one wrong'

Does our MP agree?

When MPs voted Alok Sharma, whose constituency includes Sulham Woods, voted for the sell-off, and in letters to concerned constituents including me argued it was part of the ‘Big Society’. Has he changed his mind?

On another note I went to the farmers market today (had yummy watercress soup for lunch) and was glad to hear that Cllr Willis has apparently U-turned again and has brought back the 1/2 hour etc rates for parking.  Mind you I get the bus but it seems that the gentleman is for turning...

With all these attacks on the countryside, the environment in general and sustainable lifestyles in particular, I am beginning to think that the 'tree' logo is really silly rebranding... 

Whitley Excellence Cluster campaign- what now?

Sadly the lead councillor said 'no' or rather he waffled very politely about what a wonderful thing the Whitley Excellence Cluster was and then refused to do anything.  I had to ask a supplementary question to his answer to make sure that I was clear that this is what he was actually saying.

He could have offered transitional support, phasing the funding out more slowly, help with seeking other external government/lottery/charitable grants, professional help with approaching businesses, or seconding staff from behind desks at the civic centre

Instead he mentioned the pupil premium, even his own figures this will not make up for the lost funding for South Reading's schools, so unfortunately although they are looking at ways of funding some work, they are under financial pressure as well.


The campaign  could score political points here about how the pupil premium is therefore not really new money, and actually the schools in the poorest part of Reading are getting their funding cut but that won't be a great deal of help to South Reading's young people.  Carla Allamby, the mum who presented the petition has set up a facebook group and we're going to keep campaigning and looking for support.

On another note I know it is the fashion to run Whitley down amongst certain people - for example on the pages of getReading, but this petition shows that people in Whitley really care about their children's education - and Carla, did a great job presenting it on Monday.  I'm sure Jordan and Alysha are really proud of their mum!

Valentines Day - time for the Conservatives to have a heart

Ironically given it is Valentine's Day tonight the council's Conservative-led cabinet will meet to agree the cuts they will be proposing to the rest of the council.  The idea that front line services will be protected has been consigned to history.  As I've said before, they are going to be cutting everything but the grass.  That's partially the fault of the national Conservatives, cutting too far and too fast of course, but we haven't seen much anglng for a better settlement from our local coalition.

But looking at the cuts they have chosen it seems to me that the proposals are for the apparently "easy options" of cutting programs and front line workers, like the work of the Excellence Clusters (especially the one for South Reading, WEC) rather than looking carefully at how the council is run and seeking more in efficiency savings.

Egypt

In the absence of being an expert.  Here are some photos showing "the wait" for change.

As someone who is not a middle east expert anything I would have to say about this would be better said by someone else.  But wow!  The protesters believe Egypt is free.  Just for one weekend I'd like to ignore the cynics and believe they are right.

Cllr Epps would have signed the letter...

...but Kirsten Bayes didn't.  Does Cllr Bayes not agree with the points he makes?

He says:
"1. This is not a shortsighted attempt at deficit-denying. It explicitly acknowledges the need for deficit reduction – with the consequences.
2. In being scathing about Pickles, as I have done before, it underlines a collective and cross-party loss of confidence that the Secretary of State understands localism (more on that later), understands the challenges local councils face, or for that matter cares. Reports about the derisory amounts of time Pickles has spent with the LGA (led by his Conservative Bradford successor Margaret Eaton) suggest he simply doesn’t care.
3. There is also a sense that Pickles has put the boot into local government while presiding over a bureaucracy ripe for efficiency savings of his own. Had the cuts been frontloaded onto the Civil Service, those of us in local government might have been slightly more sympathetic."

They seem very moderate and reasonable to me.  The cuts being foisted on Reading by the Conservative-led national government need to be recognised as hitting our local services hard and badly, and we need council leaders who are willing to stand up to central government and argue for a better settlement.

I'm not sure the local Libdems (of which lets remember Gareth is one), after all he has backed the local Conservatives at every council vote since May.  I'm sure at the elections in May he'll be judged on his actions.

Lots of bad news

I don't have anything nice to say about the top local story.  So I'm not going to say it.  John things well.

In the meantime the Government's plans for our forests are in disarray, it turns out that the Conservatives have doubled the proportion of their money coming from the city in the last few years and - in an unrelated move - George Osborne fails to sort out banker's bonuses and 88 Lidbem council leaders sign a letter saying they think that the government's cuts are too far too fast.  But not ours. 

I'll be at the school gate this afternoon getting more signatures for the Whitley Excellence Cluster petition

Forests privatisation - Mr Sharma's response

Worrying.  Apparently selling our forests is part of the Big Society.  I've reproduced his letter below as promised. 


Dear Ms Eden,

Thank you for contacting me about forests.

In view of recent speculation I am writing to explain the reason behind the inclusion of powers for modernisation of the forestry legislation in the Public Bodies Bill, which has just been introduced into Parliament.

Contrary to some belief, the Forestry Commission's estate covers only 18% of England's wooded areas.  Nevertheless it is of great importance in the provision of access, biodiversity, carbon storage and many other public benefits.  Some of it is producing much of our domestic timber, other areas are almost entirely devoted to public benefit and others are a mix of the two.


The Government are committed to shifting the balance of power from 'Big Government' to 'Big Society' by giving individuals, businesses, civil society organizations and local authorities a much bigger say about our priorities for it.

By including enabling powers in the Bill we will be in a position to make reforms to managing the estate.  We will consult the public on our proposals later this year, and will invite views from a wide range of potential private and civil society partners on a number of new ownership options and the means to secure public benefits.  We envisage a managed programme of reform to further develop a competitive, thriving and resilient forestry sector that includes many sustainably managed woods operating as parts of viable land-based businesses.

The Government will not compromise the protection of our most valuable and biodiverse forests.  Full measures will remain in place to preserve the public benefits of woods and forests under any new ownership arrangements.  Tree felling is controlled through the licensing system managed by the Forestry Commission, public rights of way and access will be unaffected, statutory protection for wildlife will remain in force and their will be grant incentives for new planting that can be applied for.  When publishing our proposals we will explore further the options for securing and increasing the wide range of public benefits currently delivered by Government ownership and how they might be achieved at lower cost.

This will be a new approach to ownership and management of woodlands and forests, with a reducing role for the State and a growing role for the private sector and civil society.  At the same time, it reflects the Government's firm commitment  to the continued conservation of the biodiversity and other public benefits which forests and woodland provide.  These aims are not incompatible with alternative models of ownership, or our commitment to the natural environment.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Alok Sharma MP

Did you spot the part where he slips into the present tense about the proposal?

Jim Hanley

Whitley councillor Jim Hanley died suddenly on Friday morning.

Anyone who reads my blog is probably aware of this as it's been all over the local blogs and getReading.

It's also why I haven't posted anything since Thursday.  What do you say when something like this happens?

Jim was a passionate and kind ward colleague.  Whenever we were out and about in the ward, whether electioneering, going to a community event or just walking down the street he was so friendly and approachable.  I don't think I ever saw him lost for words.  Having said that he had strong political beliefs and was prepared to stand up for them.  He also consistently stood up for Whitley residents.  Combining that with his detailed knowledge of planning meant he was a great asset to the council.  This is such a sad loss to Trish and to the Labour party and also to the wider community.

Many others have had more to say and said it better.  Once the immediate shock goes I'm sure there will be a more formal tribute from the Labour party in Reading and others.

Wilson school Ofsted - Outstanding!

I have been a school governor at Wilson School since 2008, something I am very proud of.  It is a really wonderful school, and I am really proud to be involved with it.  We had our Ofsted inspection recently and we're now able to publish the results.  I was one of the governors who was interviewed, and it was nerve racking, but surprisingly positive, as we felt we were able to explain what made Wilson such a positive place to be involved with.  Well done to Mo, Sarah, all the staff and the parents and pupils as well as to Chris, our chair of governors who does a wonderful job.

I don't normally reproduce council press releases, but this is an exception!

" A west Reading primary school is celebrating after Ofsted gave it top marks in a recent inspection.

Wilson Primary School was judged outstanding by inspectors who visited the school in Wilson Road in January – a remarkable improvement, as the school was graded 'satisfactory' when it was last inspected in 2008.

Ofsted singles out the school's headteacher and deputy headteacher for leading the drive for improvement. The report said: 'Under the outstanding leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, staff and members of the governing body work exceptionally well together in driving forward improvement.'

The report says the improvement made in many aspects of the school's work is 'excellent' and adds that 'the school is well placed to improve further'.

Other key judgements made by the inspectors include:

-- The curriculum is exciting and innovative and especially well matched to children's needs and interests
-- The children have a love of learning and the aspiration to do their best
-- Support and guidance for all children is outstanding
-- Results in national tests have risen well since the last inspection
-- Teaching has improved considerably, with a very large majority of lessons being good and an increasing number excellent
-- There are excellent procedures for assessing children's progress
-- The children are extremely kind and helpful
-- Their outstanding behaviour supports learning especially well
-- Relationships amongst the whole school community are exceptionally good
-- Children are especially well prepared as citizens of a diverse national and global community
Headteacher Mo Galway and Chair of Governors Chris Stroud said: 'We are all extremely proud of what we have achieved. Wilson School is a wonderful community to be part of and it is the hard work of everyone - staff, pupils, parents and governors - that has enabled us to make such significant strides forward. We have a great team but we are especially proud of our children and the recognition they received in the report.'

Mark Ralph, Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services, said: 'I am very pleased that the hard work undertaken by Mo Galway and her team has been recognised and offer my congratulations to all concerned on this excellent result.

'The timing of this report is particularly apposite, as it coincides with plans to expand the annual intake of the School."

Having increased its intake from 30 to 60 in September 2010, Wilson Primary School will again take 60 in September 2011. The Council plans to continue this expansion over the next few years until the school has grown to 420 pupils in 2017.

An open day for parents and neighbours of the school will take place from 2pm to 7pm on Thursday, February 17. Drawings on display at the open day will show how the children will be accommodated."

Disappointing: Letter from RCRE to Cllr Townend

I've seen a copy of a letter from the Chair of the Reading Council for Racial Equality to Cllr Mike Townend that was read out in the council's own Ethnic Minority Forum .  This is where residents come to discuss the council's policies relating to ethnic minorities (there are similar forums aimed at a wide range of groups in the town e.g. the elderly, the access group, children etc).


I reproduce a copy below:

(acronym buster: BME - black and minority ethnic, EMF - ethnic minority forum, RCRE - Reading Council for Racial Equality) 
I am told that this was sent because the lead councillor refused to put the cuts to community groups on the agenda.  Cllr Bet Tickner was there and said that at the previous meeting there had been 23 attendees from a range of groups and it was down to just 3 this time, so clearly there was widespread agreement with this decision. 

My view:

This isn't the only group of people not being properly consulted.  You may or may not agree with a particular decision but it is important to at least consult and discuss the impact with people affected, if nothing else to work out what else can be done.

This is a worrying indication that the Conservatives aren't listening and don't want to work for the whole of Reading