Newsletter to SHA members in
Wales: No. 13
We are trialling a new format with the newsletter. Please let me know what you think (lewis.linda55@btinternet.com).
- SHAC are putting together a campaign against the Health Bill legislation due to be voted on in Parliament in October. If anyone is interested in being part of the campaign, please contact Tony Beddow tonesue@aol.com. However, please could everyone, regardless of the political colour of your MP, write to your MP to vote against (not abstain) the Bill. You may want to point out that a vote for this Bill will be damaging to their political career and will be highlighted in any future election campaign.
- Dates for your diary
– Thursday 9 September 2021 7pm SHAC all members meeting via Zoom. Guest speakers include Dr Bob Gill and Mick Antoniw MS.
- SHA UK Central Council Meeting on Saturday 8 October 2021 10.30am-12.30pm. All members can attend but on Central Council delegates can vote.
- SHA Cymru AGM Tuesday 19 October 2021 7pm.
- Wales Labour Party Conference November 5-7, 2021, in Llandudno
- SHA UK Central Council Meeting Saturday 15 January 2022
- A series of events on Julian Tudor Hart in February 2022 on successive Thursdays at 1 pm in Swansea Museum. Three speakers have been lined up Dr Brian Gibbons, Graham Watt, and George Davey Smith. The fourth session will include selections from films of Julian, Introduced by Gareth Jones, and Jonathan Richards.
- The newly constituted Senedd Health and Social Care Committee has launched a mini-consultation on what its priorities should be for the coming Senedd term. Any comments please let me know lewis.linda55@btinternet.com
Swansea Bay Health Boards are consulting on the future of its hospital services. The consultation finishes on October 1, 2021. Any comments please let me know lewis.linda55@btinternet.com
Attached is a link to a British Medical Journal article which is very informative in
relation to Covid vaccination. Click here
- Message from Mark Ladbrooke, Chair SHA UK
- The Oxfordshire SHA branch has proposed a motion for equitable vaccine distribution and waiving patents to allow worldwide distribution (following S African and Indian representations and most recently supported by the World Health Organisation and former Labour leader Gordon Brown) The branch has participated in demonstrations and has won the unanimous backing of their local Labour Party. They have asked us to promote this work across the SHA.
I’m sure SHA members are aware of this huge injustice; I hope this is uncontentious. There are some interesting possibilities of developing some work with other campaigning organisations on this issue.
2. I have been approached by members of the SHA with a request we speak out in support of Afghan refugees urging that the UK government fulfils its duties under the UN to help take in those fleeing persecution. I have contacted Anneliese Dodds MP, who happens to be my MP, and is the national Chair of the Labour Party to express concerns – she assures us that the PLP is following this issue through. Again, I hope this is uncontroversial.
3. I have been contacted by Unite union members in the SHA (Unite is one of our affiliates) who have asked if we would send a solidarity message to striking nurses in the USA where incredibly a private health care corporation has laid off nursing staff mid pandemic so the corporation could collect furlough money from the US government. Sen Elizabet Warren (Dem) has also spoken in their support. I have sent a message of support.
4. There is an industrial dispute by Sri Lankan workers manufacturing PPE – again Unite is asking for support. I plan to send another message.
I hope the SHA international work can develop beyond solidarity messages, important as they are! If SHA members are interested in this work, please let me know.
Regards, Mark – Chair and lead on international work.
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