DEFEND THE WHITTINGTON HOSPITAL COALITION

Place:  Archway Methodist Church 19.00 – 21.00

Chair:  Shirley Franklin   Minutes: Valerie Lipman

1. Introductions and apologies

Shirley welcomed everyone to the meeting.  Seven people attended the meeting. Apologies were received from Tony Marshall

2. Minutes of the 1st December 2014

These were approved

3. Matters arising from 1st December 2014

• ‘This May Hurt a Bit’ – the theatre company has been having trouble getting a whole cast together for a performance of the play.   Meeting agreed to put a performance on after the General Election.
• Administration – email lists have now all been uploaded and gathered into one main list. Thanks to Jem for sorting. There is a total of 2,700 + names. However there are practical difficulties in sending out emails, as our current system can only send out 500 at a time.
• Jem also thanked for all her work for the DWHC over the last year.

4. Whittington Hospital Update

Whittington Health has adopted a new ‘marketing’ strategy aimed at ‘changing the hearts and minds’ of how the public views the hospital. Whittington Health wants people to stop thinking of it just being hospital beds, but about its wider community-based services. The DWHC argues that acute beds are always necessary and that there are insufficient community services to adequately support people who need help at home after a spell in hospital. Concerns also raised about the quality of help at home being provide unqualified volunteers, as opposed to trained staff. There are is also huge demands on the community provided services as respite care services have also been cut. We confirmed, that even in the face of other cuts in the social care sector, that because of limited resources DWHC’s main campaign is to keep a fully functioning hospital.

Agreed:

• to attend next Board meeting of the Whittington – 2 -5 4th March. SF to prepare letter to be given to Chair and CEO to read out at meeting. To distribute manifestos and hustings flyers too.
• to find out what cuts have been made to voluntary sector provided services in Islington and Haringey, in order to demonstrate that community services aren’t present. Suggested that IVAC and Haringey voluntary action are approached for info.

5. Hustings 23 March and petitions

SF invited candidates from the Green Party, Lib Dems, Labour, Conservatives and Trade Union Socialist Coalition (TUSC) to speak at the hustings. Acceptances so far have been received from Labour (Catherine West) and TUSC. SF will send further personal invite to the newly selected Conservative candidates for Islington North and South. SF will chair the meeting. Thanks extended to the GMB for helping host the meeting by enabling us to the Council Chamber. Copies of the manifesto will be put on each seat of the meeting. Collection to be arranged.

Two set of copies of the petitions to be made – one set for presentation to national government, and the other to be presented locally.

Jem to collate the completed petitions received so far. Everyone to continue collecting signatures and to distribute flyers for the hustings.

Next DWHC stall to promote the manifesto will be on 14^th March 11.30 – 1.00 outside Selbys on Holloway Road.

6. North London People’s Assembly 14^th March

CW and SF are running a session on health, in the afternoon at the People Assembly, Wood Green Cypriot Community Centre

7. Defend London NHS Meeting 10^th March

Pre-election meeting will be taking place at Hammersmith Town HallI

8. AOB

• Out of Hours/111 Service – plans are still going ahead by 5 north London boroughs to deliver a joint service. Enfield has the lead on the procurement process for the contract. Islington is in the middle of a consultation (“engagement”) process with Islington residents. The consultation is all about the type of service, not about what kind of organisation the residents would like the service to be provided by e.g. private, not-for-profit, NHS.
• London Medical Orchestra is doing a fundraiser for the Whittington Maternity Unit on 23 Mach at Brookfield Church, Dartmouth Park Hill. Agreed to try and distribute hustings flyers at the event.

9. Date of next meeting

Agreed to leave open, but to have one soon after the general election.