And I mean this most sincerely folks... #welovethenhs

Dear XXXXX,
I've been enjoying the sun and touring my beautiful constituency of Witney today. But it goes without saying that just because I and most other politicians are not in Westminster at the moment, politics isn't somehow put on hold.

People still care about the issues they care about, and thanks to the internet they can voice their concerns whenever they want. Just look at all the support which the NHS has received on Twitter over the last couple of days. It is a reminder - if one were needed - of how proud we in Britain are of the NHS.

Millions of people are grateful for the care they have received from the NHS - including my own family. One of the wonderful things about living in this country is that the moment you're injured or fall ill - no matter who you are, where you are from, or how much money you've got - you know that the NHS will look after you.

That's why we as a Party are so committed not just to the principles behind the NHS, but to doing all we can to improve the way it works in practice. So yes, we will spend more on the NHS, but we will also improve it so that it is more efficient and responsive to patients. People working on the frontline will actually be able get on with the job they signed up for, without getting tied up in a web of targets. And we will put more power in the hands of patients by giving them better information about the care they can expect to receive.

Underlying these reforms, and our whole approach to the NHS, will be one big ambition - that future generations will be even prouder of the NHS than we are today.
Comment on David's message on The Blue Blog

OK, I'm a bit slow with this - DC's email from last week. Not so much jumping on the #welovethenhs bandwagon as running frantically after it down the road shouting 'hey, wait for me!' as it accelerates off into the distance.

#welovethenhs - Deamonte Driver's story

Since the #welovethenhs fightback started I've been meaning to dig out this horrendous story from the US a couple of years ago, about a 12 year old homeless child who died from a simple abcess on his tooth because his mother's Medicaid had run out.

I remember it particularly because around the same time a well-known Labour councillor in the South West had a son who ended up fighting for his life in similar circumstances; I can't remember the details but I think it was an abcess where the infection had spread, maybe to his brain? He was saved by the NHS.

#welovethenhs - continued

I'm loving this - a real grassroots swell of support for the NHS. The support from Sarah and Gordon is particularly poignant, knowing what we know of their personal family experience of the NHS. For those of you who don't use Twitter, check it out - just go onto www.twitter.com and search against #welovethenhs. Someone should make a book out of this, or put a twitter feed on the Department of Health website.

#welovethenhs

Much as I would love to blog about all sorts of things today, I didn't get in till 10pm and have got a busy day - in fact a very busy five or six days - ahead of me. Obviously lots of things going on, with the Alan Duncan and the Daniel Hannan/ US politicians/ Stephen Hawking NHS stuff.

I think today might be the day Twitter really proved its worth as a political communications tool, with #welovethenhs the top trending topic and people tweeting all day with positive personal experiences of using the NHS and a political defence of a national health service that is free at the point of need to all who need it. And Americans joining in too, and Professor Hawking and the Secretary of State for Health. It's the beauty of Twitter, that it's so immediate a form of communication. In the old days Andy would have had a press officer drafting a press release, running it past him, amending it, sending it out - now he just tweets!

One of the problems Labour has had over the years, which has been identified in focus groups, polling, and on the doorstep, is that people by and large have had good experiences of the NHS. But because negative issues dominate the headlines, such as MRSA or a tragic misdiagnosis, or NICE refusing to recommend a cancer drug, people don't think of their experience of the NHS as typical. They say positive things but then say, 'but I've been lucky'. So it's great to have a day when people are tweeting and retweeting their appreciation of the NHS, and recognising that it's not just them - it's all of us who are lucky to have it.

Riot grrrls

There are some seriously feisty young female bloggers out there on the left of the blogosphere, and they're not afraid to pick a fight. Latest into the ring, bouncing on the steel-toe caps of her vintage size 3 DMs, is Grace from Manchester taking on Tory MEP, Daniel Hannan.

Sometimes I find Hannan totally ridiculous. Sometimes I find myself scared of his demagogic potential. No such wavering for Grace, all 5' 1.8" of her, who floors him with a swift left hook straight between the eyeballs. Have a read here.

PS As is only courteous... if you want to comment, please do it over on Grace's site. Otherwise it will just look like you're scared of her.

Today

On train from Bristol to London, after a meeting with the local PCT, and for once technology is proving co-operative - very impressed with new battery on laptop, and what seems to be an improved signal. (About time too, FGW!)

Sometimes wish I could tape meetings with local NHS bodies and then podcast so that people - people who haven't directly used the NHS themselves, who already know this - would actually believe there is good news out there. We haven't just got waiting times down to 18 weeks; we've got them down to 13 weeks. Moving ahead on stroke services, maternity services... and we now have primary mental health care across the city, which is entirely down to additional Government funding. That means people can get easier access to counselling and other treatment before things get really bad. And Bristol PCT has come out top of every NHS body in the country for staff satisfaction. Of course Roger and Doug (fellow local MPs) and I had some issues to raise, as we always do at such meetings, but generally we came away happy.

Today's business in Westminster starts with the usual whips run-through - basically just telling us when we can expect votes and how many, so that we can pass on this info to those who ask us - and then Children Schools and Families questions at 2.30, and then the Prime Minister's statement on an inquiry into Iraq. I've always thought there should be an inquiry, but not while the conflict was ongoing, so now's the time. Wonder who is going to chair it?

There are also hustings for the Speaker contest this afternoon, which will also be televised (or, at least, the television cameras will be there). I'm still sticking with Bercow, the moderniser's candidate. BTW, in response to someone who said, on Twitter I think, that the whips should stay out of this... They are. It's a secret ballot, a free vote and the only efforts being made to persuade people to vote one way or another are coming from the candidates themselves. Don't think I'll be at the hustings today, but going to make one of the other sessions this week. Actual ballot is on Monday.

Quick update

No time to blog today because it's last day before recess and have to clear desk before heading to Bristol. Will be in the constituency for most of the next few weeks, as it's elections the week after, apart from visiting the hospital (which is excellent, I have to say - NHS has been fantastic, from the speed with which the ambulance arrived to the cleanliness of the hospital and the friendliness of the staff. I have promised to pass on this praise to AJ). Tomorrow I will be on the buses in Bristol as the car is still suspension-less. Always good to do that occasionally to check out the service, although having now worked out it means leaving home at 7.30am to be at my first appointment, I'm not so convinced... And yes, I know plenty of people have to do that every day, but that doesn't mean I actually have to enjoy the experience.

News from Westminster.... Bercow bandwagon for Speaker gathering pace. Had a good chat with him yesterday. Haven't heard anyone say they're supporting another candidate, but that may well be because I don't mix in those circles. There will be at least one hustings, on June 17th, which I can imagine will be a daunting prospect for the candidates. Good news too re Gurkhas; have spent the past couple of weeks drafting and redrafting letters to go out to those constituents who had contacted me about the issue, which now have to be rewritten! Posted expenses on website a few days ago and went through with journo too. I'm sure we will still be talking about the same issue when Parliament returns on Monday 1st June. We've got the Second Reading of the Immigration and Citizenship Bill on the Tuesday, so will be aiming to speak in that debate. And then it will be the local elections. As we are now in pre-election purdah I shall be banning party political broadcasts on behalf of the Green Party from now onwards. Hope you're listening Glenn!

Touch me I'm sick

One of my more recent posts, Human, somehow with a wearying sense of inevitability veered off into a discussion of all things libertarian again. (If I ever get more than 20 comments on a post, that's a given). It included a brief discussion of the merits or otherwise of an insurance-based, US-style National Health Service. Here's Theo Blackwell explaining just what would be wrong with that.

Child labour in the NHS

Given my recent post about the War on Want campaign against Primark I suppose I should post this story from tomorrow's Guardian before anyone else gets a chance to bring it up. As to what I'm doing reading online papers at 2.30am... it's been one of those nights.

Check it out

I'm glad I discovered Don Paskini's blog - his latest posts are very sensible indeed. He quotes a CiF post from an 85 year old who has been using the NHS regularly since 1992, and reckons it's much, much better now. The same guy also says that he's much better off than he was 12 years ago, even if the last 12 months have been a bit tough.

One of my (many) sisters tells a similar story. She's been using the NHS regularly - i.e. appointments every few months at various different hospitals - over the past 30 years, and she says she notices the incremental improvements on every visit. She also has two sons: one is off to university soon; the other is at infant school. Same place, 12 years later; she says the change in education is phenomenal.

I'm not for one moment saying everything is perfect; of course it's not. But the investment in public services is paying off. Pensioners are better off, even with rising fuel bills and above inflation council tax rises. It would be absolutely tragic if we throw all that away at the next election. Which is why I haven't been answering the phone to journalists today.

The drugs don't work

Or do they?

Not difficult to think of a good news story today. Those of you who saw yesterday's Evening Post will have read about the case of Gary Humphries and his battle to get the PCT to give him the drug he hopes will help him fight kidney cancer. Gary came to see me at my surgery a few weeks ago, and has just emailed to tell me that today's appeal was successful! Great news, and I hope he responds well to treatment.

Also worth reminding people that earlier this week the Government announced a fundamental review of the way NICE works, and an end to the postcode lottery. Would have been too late for Gary, but the PCT's decision today may well have been made with that in mind.

Speeding up drugs decisions

This announcement might have by-passed a lot of people who aren't directly affected at the moment, but trust me, it's really good news. I'm handling quite a few NICE-related cases at the moment, and there is certainly a perception of a 'postcode lottery', which causes additional anxiety to people who are already having to cope with enough without having to fight NHS bureaucracy too.