Minutes of DWHC Meeting 10th May 2010

1. Present

Jan Pollock (UCU & People’s Charter), Dave Plummer, Rich Moth, Kathleen Greaves, John Philps, Candy Udwin (Camden KONP), Frank Jacobs (Camden/Islington UNISON Health), Chris Cook (Tufnell Pk Residents Gp), Katy Gold, Janet Shapiro (DHHS), Dave Morris (Haringey Fed. Of Residents Assns), Shirley Franklin, Peter Lorimer (LCSP), Anna Longman, Zozi Goodman, Ian Shacklock, Emma Dixon (Isl. Green Party), Linda Fledreichs

2. Apologies

Emily Fawcus,  David Carr, Kevin Doherty, Sarah Mills, Chris Havell

3. Mins of Last Meeting

12 April: We have 16,000 signatures on petition. Letters have been sent to all Isl. GPs. LINKS mtgs have been postponed. 20 people attended last mtg on Apr 12.  Dave Morris raised Qs to be taken later on agenda.

4. Treasurer’s Report

Katy explained expenditure had been £3,457. We have c.£1,000 in bank. Cost of badges now covered, but more badges are available. Three quarters of our income is from trades unions.  Katy was thanked for her work as Treasurer.

5. Rally and Day of Action

Shirley began rept; others added to it.Referendum at bus garage 97% agst A&E closure. Activities held at Isl Tn Hall and College. “Stunts” at Laycock and St John’s Way GP surgeries.

All shadow and actual Mins. of Health invited to Rally. Only Andrew Lansley came. Andy Burnham had declared halt to clinical review. All contributors stressed the need for continued vigilance/campaigning under new Gvt.

Shirley was thanked for her work.

6. The Way Forward

Many issues raised including: mental health, JS reported that Parliamentary Health Select Committee reported that Commissioning system not working effectively and cost in some case 14% of budget, cont. letter-writing to local press, NHS privatisation.

We all need to educate ourselves better on the NHS. A public mtg re commissioning/provider split was proposed.  Also how NHS operates including financial position and polyclinics.  Need to continue the website and its links. Dave Plummer thanked for his work.

We agreed to affiliate to KONP. KONP Conf is on Sat, June 12. BMA mtg also coming soon. Discussion re broadening support for dwhc.

7. Roles and Processes

some difficulties within dwhc raised as internal business with ref. to founding guidelines. Various suggestions to improve our internal workings. Dwhc needs to be a campaign for people of different backgrounds.  A need to re-define jobs? Is a cttee needed? Next mtg to discuss ways to improve  our democratic processes.

Zozi, who resigned, was thanked for her work.