We have written over 500 news, analysis and explainers on the key NHS issues. which we promoted across social media every week and make available with no paywall.
We alert people to threats and help them get involved.
In our first year, we raised the alarm about plans to privatize a world-renown NHS cancer scanning service in Oxford, which was proceeding against the advice of NHS staff.
We published briefings about the plans and investigated the company that won the contract, reporting the story week by week. Our researchers published evidence about the impact of outsourcing in other areas and talked to staff about the potential impact.
The result of the local campaign was a climb down from the plan, confirming that local people can influence policy when they work together.
Supplying the national media with evidence
Our researchers work on key issues like privatisation: tracking changes and investigating the activities of companies. By working with journalists like Denis Campbell at the Guardian we have provided evidence and comment on a string of stories to show the public the scale and impact of privatisation.
It was our work that first revealed the scale of Virgin Care’s role in the NHS. All this work is uploaded on to the NHS for sale website and now through The Lowdown we can keep raising this issue much more regularly.
Countering misinformation
More prevalent than ever, misinformation pollutes the public view of our NHS. How often do we hear health ministers declare that the NHS has the funding it needs, or will never be privatised, or has record numbers of staff and that new hospitals will soon be built? It is crucial to sort the fact from the fiction and to challenge the source, which is what we do.
Promoting debate about the solutions
There is already a wide range of well-researched ideas about what direction our health service should go. There is an experience that we can draw upon from other countries. There are issues like social care kicked into the long grass by politicians, but we stick with them.
Work alongside campaigners and trade unions
By talking to communities, NHS staff and trade union members we stay in touch with their experience of the health service. We publish their views when it helps to inform the public about whats happening inside their NHS.
A good example is the transfer of thousands of NHS staff into private companies, created by the NHS itself – which is happening in many areas few people know about it and we are working with trade unions to alert people to the impact through a whole series of stories and explainers that we promote across social media.
With your help we can alert, inform and connect NHS supporters across the country to defend their local services and push for the support that the NHS needs.
The change the NHS need is unlikely to come without the public and NHS staff working together to steer our politicians. And there are still many threats such as cuts, privatization, understaffing, racism, low pay, and lack of accountability. To combat these we need more NHS supporter and staff to be aware and to work together
Thank you for all your help and support, please donate if you can.
Dear Reader,
If you like our content please support our campaigning journalism to protect health care for all.
Our goal is to inform people, hold our politicians to account and help to build change through evidence based ideas.
Everyone should have access to comprehensive healthcare, but our NHS needs support. You can help us to continue to counter bad policy, battle neglect of the NHS and correct dangerous mis-infomation.
Supporters of the NHS are crucial in sustaining our health service and with your help we will be able to engage more people in securing its future.
Please donate to help support our campaigning NHS research and journalism.