Got any thoughts about the NHS and the way it is changing? Come and talk to shadow health minister Diane Abbott in our live webchat today (Tues 15 March), 1.15pm - 2.15pm

[KatieMumsnet]

Diane Abbott will be popping (back) to MNHQ for a webchat this Tuesday.

Diane was the first black woman ever elected to the British Parliament in 1987 and has been MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington ever since, building a career as a parliamentarian, broadcaster and standing for Labour's leadership in the election last year.

Following the leadership election she was appointed Shadow Minister for Public Health, covering a range of issues, including alcohol, children's health, fertility and embryology, maternity services, nursing and midwifery.

If you have a question you'd like to put to Diane, please join the webchat this Tuesday lunchtime, 1.15pm - 2.15pm. If you won't be around then, please post your question here.

[DianeAbbott]

@REXD

I was initially for the safe and sustainable review but having read all the documents. am now more concerned about what will happen after the review than now. The thing hasn't been as thought through as the NHS would have us believe and that is why so many people are in opposition.

Having read the expert reports about the units both Brompton and Southampton are favourites for closure eventhough they were in the top 4 when this is supposed to be about higher quality of care. The experts also had serious concerns about other units picus being able to actually cope with extra cases and they are in several options. What is going on?

I am now more concerned about what will happen after the review than now to be honest. What steps will you/Labour be taking to ensure this is being considered fully?

This is to also to saggarmakersbottomknocker and ethansmummy1981. Thanks for your questions.

I think we need to take a long hard look at any proposals to reduce the number of units that are allowed to perform children's heart surgery. It is a real shame that among those at risk are the units at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, Leeds General Infirmary and the Royal Brompton in London.

Yes - the Royal Brompton is the most vulnerable. The Royal Brompton and Harefield Trust is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and an acknowledged centre of excellence in Europe.

It defies logic for it to lose its role as a children's heart surgery unit. Furthermore, the Royal Brompton meets the standard of having four surgeons and does around 450 children's heart operations a year.

[cookward]

I live in Yorkshire and have benefited from the work of the Childrens Cardiac Surgery unit in Leeds. I am concerned that as a result of the Safe and Sustainable Review Leeds may be closed and feel this is so wrong and lives will be lost if this happens. My son would not have survived had he not been treated in Leeds.

Leeds meets the critera for safe and sustainable. It has co-location of services, has room to expand, has support services such as counselling and cardiac liaison nurses, it is in the centre of a massive population density with 14m people within 2 hrs drive.

The review missed oput aspects of what Leeds provides in its report and the survey of parents views which the CHF did is not representative of the country. Of the fifth of people who responded 43% were from the South East. The questions were loaded and I would not have been able to answer it as the options were too limited.

This process has not been fair and it would be criminal if units such as Leeds were to close as a result of it

[DianeAbbott]

@My2

health is obviously a devolved for us in scotland - however, why do you think your scottish labour colleagues voted against the introduction of minimum pricing? any chance you could have a word with jackie baillie....

unfortunately i will be working - so can't join in.

My2 ? I take seriously that healthcare professionals would like minimum pricing policies. I think that the reasons people drink too much are very complex. But I think that it is definitely worth trialling minimum alcohol pricing in a big town like Birmingham or Manchester.

Recently, a group of leading doctors said that up to 250,000 people could die because of alcohol over the next 20 years unless ministers take strong action to tackle Britain's chronic drink problems.

And yet, a study last month showed that Cameron and Lansley?s proposed minimum price for alcohol has been set so low it would have stopped only one cut-price drink deal out of thousands in the last three months.

Everyone can see that the Tory-led government is in the pocket of big business.

But the truth is that we need a long-term strategy that works, which tackles the root causes of Britain?s alcohol problems. We need to start to consider the complexities of some of these issues.

[DianeAbbott]

@Porpoise

Hello Diane. Nice to have you on Mumsnet.

How do you think Ed Miliband is doing as Labour leader?

I think that Ed is fine. People forget that it takes time to make impact as an opposition leader. But the main thing is that we are well ahead in the polls.

[DianeAbbott]

@jugglingjo

I don't think you were being particularly hypocritical in sending your son to a private school. I've done similar, but different, things to secure a good education for my children (involving gaining places at a faith school)

I wouldn't criticize mothers for the things they do for their children (within reason)

Our children are our children. Some of us really would do almost anything for them !

Thank you! The truth is that I really would do anything for my son.

[SparkleRainbow]

I can completely relate to you doing anything for your son. Would you answer my question about the NHS treatment of mine?

[DianeAbbott]

@sfxmum

Hello Diane

what I really expect from the opposition is honest talk both to the voters and in parliament (naive moi?)

so really what I want is when questions are asked and dejections are raised, they have a sounds basis backed up by sounds figures/ research

also I think Labour need to have a frank talk with voters being very clear on the limitations on the NHS and the need to ration resources in a fair way

what I expect from you is a sound defence of the NHS which I think is a wonderful institution despite its shortcomings

so what are Labours answers/ solutions regarding long term funding of the NHS?
how can we insure the procuring of resources is not bogged down in idiotic bureaucracy?
how can services be designed counting on the expertise of the staff and focusing on the needs of the users?

that might be cheating with the questions but would be so grateful if you could shed some light on the subject

(or in other words, make me want to vote Labour again)

many thanks

Thank you to sfxmum, and MakesCakesWhenStressed for your questions on the future of the NHS.

My message on this is simple: at a time when every single penny is needed to maintain jobs and standards of patient care, it is nothing short of a disgrace to spend up to £3 billion on an unwanted political experiment with our NHS.

Top-down reorganisation is exactly what the Government promised to stop in their Coalition Agreement in May, and so they have no mandate for the break-up of a successful NHS.
Patients aren?t asking for it, GPs and NHS staff don?t want it and the public did not vote for it.

The Labour Party is committed to improving the National Health Service and making changes where necessary. And we accept that there is a continuing need for savings and economies. The Royal College of Nurses has led the way in encouraging its members to come forward with examples of waste.

But the economic challenges we face are no excuse for slashing the NHS. Latest figures suggest at least 50,00 jobs will go. The service was set up after the second world war, when debt as a proportion of GDP was even higher than it is today. The Conservative Party back then said that we could not afford universal healthcare. But Health Minister Nye Bevan said words that are still relevant today: "Take pride", he said, "in the fact that, despite our financial and economic anxieties, we are still able to do the most civilised thing in the world: put the welfare of the sick in front of every other consideration".

[GORGEOUSX]

Diane, do you think that 11 years of Labour in power could have anything at all to do with the appalling state of the NHS that this government are now having to deal with?

Or do you honestly think you can get away with making people think the NHS has suddently become a mess since last May?

[REXD]

Re my earlier post - obviously Southampton is at risk too and that was ranked in 2nd place so any scrutiny and pressure about the review would be greatly appreciated. All I want is my son to get the best quality care he can get - which doesn't mean stepping down from an already excellent unit.

[GORGEOUSX]

I just want to make clear that when I say "appalling" I DO NOT MEAN the people who work for the NHS. I have nothing but admiration for the people who struggle day in and day out to do their best for patients in the NHS.

Sadly Labour WASTED HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, because it was not THEIR money - after all, it didn't come out of their expenses - but out of the little peoples' taxes!

[DianeAbbott]

@GORGEOUSX

Diane, do you think that 11 years of Labour in power could have anything at all to do with the appalling state of the NHS that this government are now having to deal with?

Or do you honestly think you can get away with making people think the NHS has suddently become a mess since last May?

IPSOS Mori polls show that public satisfaction with the NHS at the end of the Labour government was the highest it had ever been.

[GORGEOUSX]

Isn't if funny how you politicians pick and choose which Polls you want to heed? I wonder how many people they asked, which areas of the country they polled etc. I'm sure there are other polls which would show the opposite Diane - you obviously came armed with that particular ONE LITTLE POLL.

[donnie]

Hi Diane - I have another question if I may?

people are increasingly frustrated at the tax loopholes and exemptions which enable the very rich to escape personal and corporate taxation - I am thinkign of recent revelations about Philip Green. Vodaphone and so on. It seems to me there was never any real commitment by Labour (and certainly there will never be by the Tories) to tax the super rich more heavily. Is that a fair assessment or are there plans afoot to tax the super rich more?

thanks
Donnie

[ohanotherone]

Oh, there's not much time left, are the people in Powys being ignored by Labour yet again????

[GORGEOUSX]

Diane, I don't believe for one moment, that you think people were satisfied with the NHS under Labour.

You know as well as I do, that you'll never have to go to A & E and wait 5 hours for treatment for your DC, unlike most Labour voters. Do you think you've been in politics so long that you don't even know the truth anymore, or have you just become adept at Spin?

[OxfordConcise]

Do you think there is any scope for union action on the part of health service workers, or other public-sector employees, as part of the campaign to prevent these radical ideological reforms that weren't in the Tory manifesto, weren't highlighed in election discourse, etc?

Radical protest has all come from new, fluid, internet-based organisations. How can traditional protest organisations like unions best form a united front with these? How can Labour help with this?

[DianeAbbott]

@SparkleRainbow

I can completely relate to you doing anything for your son. Would you answer my question about the NHS treatment of mine?

Sorry. In the scramble to answer all the questions I missed your questions about your son's treatment. Without knowing all the details I am not sure what went wrong but 19 months is a long time to go without the specialist help he needs. The new re-organisation will not help you. If getting the right treatment is a financial issue your GP will be just as constrained as he is now. Furthermore if your GP brings in a private company to do his commissioning(which a lot of GP's will do ) then your son's treatment will not be his call it will be the private commissioners decision. In the meantime I would write to your MP who will write to your PCT on your behalf to try and find out what has gone wrong and try and get your son the help that he needs.

[MumofHeartChildandAS]

Hi Diane,

You say that the safe and sustainable is flawed but what are doing about it?

[ThisIsANiceCage]

Labour created NHS Foundation Trusts, independent of Local Health Authorities and key structures on the path to privatisation.

This is the bit that gets me. Diane, I love you personally, but Labour have been beavering away chopping the NHS up into bite-sized, privatisation-palatable bits for years.

[DianeAbbott]

@ohanotherone

Oh, there's not much time left, are the people in Powys being ignored by Labour yet again????

Profuse apologies to the people of Powys! It is wrong for the people of Powys to stuck in "black hole" when it comes to health care. Why don't you write to Peter Hain who is Labour's Shadow Minister for Wales? I am sure he would be glad to try and sort this out.

[DianeAbbott]

@ThisIsANiceCage

Labour created NHS Foundation Trusts, independent of Local Health Authorities and key structures on the path to privatisation.

This is the bit that gets me. Diane, I love you personally, but Labour have been beavering away chopping the NHS up into bite-sized, privatisation-palatable bits for years.

I actually voted against foundation trusts. So I do understand the argument that you are making.

[SparkleRainbow]

Thank you for answering. I have just written to my MP because of the Local Education Authority's alck of support, I will write to him again in respect of the PCT, but it shouldn't have to be like this surely.

[DianeAbbott]

@OxfordConcise

Do you think there is any scope for union action on the part of health service workers, or other public-sector employees, as part of the campaign to prevent these radical ideological reforms that weren't in the Tory manifesto, weren't highlighed in election discourse, etc?

Radical protest has all come from new, fluid, internet-based organisations. How can traditional protest organisations like unions best form a united front with these? How can Labour help with this?

We saw how the Tories backed down over the privatization of forests because of new fluid internet-based campaigning. I think if unions and organisations like the BMA combine with the internet based campaigners we really can fight this bill. Remember this Health Bill is a "War Against Mums"

[GORGEOUSX]

Diane, I would like to say I like you, but, truly, I don't - I DID LIKE YOU - until you tried to get rid of all the grammar schools. You say that 10 years ago the secondary schools in Hackney were rubbish - that's because Labour got rid of loads of Grammar schools. Probably because you can all afford private school fees, so the rest of us can just put up with it sinking comps!

[BecauseImWorthIt]

Gorgeous - can you stop the heckling now? We've all got your point and it's getting very tedious. (Plus you're contravening the guidelines for these webchats - see no. 4 ^)