To all British retailers, Just over 4 months ago I found out I was pregnant. Since that moment my life has been a roller coaster ride of emotions ranging from so-excited-I-could-burst to oh-my-god-what-are-we-doing?-this-is-absolutely-terrifying. Indeed, as a FTM or first time mum there are lots of things to get my head round. Knowing what FTM means for example, or becoming highly acquainted with the toilet bowl. There seems to be an endless list of adjustments to be made, whether it be my sleeping position or how to sneeze without causing myself pain. All of these things I hadn’t expected. I actually said to a friend that I’m convinced the reason why it’s been deemed bad luck to share your pregnancy news before you’ve completed the first trimester is because the first trimester is so bloody horrible that if non-parents were to know they’d never consider starting a family. All in all it’s been emotional. One of the biggest factors to contend with is the effect of pregnancy on your body. People talk about the pregnancy glow but I must admit I can’t say I feel bouncing when every part of my body hurts, I’m out of breath, covered in spots like a pubescent teenager and watching my body expand by the day. Like any woman I take pride in my appearance, like to keep up to date with fashion and know that when I’m not feeling my best I want to be dressed in my favourite clothes. This has been a problem. On a recent visit to the UK I was looking forward to hitting the streets of London and Manchester and getting my hands on some maternity clothes. I’ve reached the point of no return with my ‘normal’ clothes and I was looking forward to shopping in the both fashionable and affordable high street stores. Sadly I shouldn’t have bothered. After dragging my podgy ankles up and down Oxford Street I realised that it was time to make another realisation: I was now an outcast of society. All the stores I entered (bar three) told me that they no longer stocked maternity clothes in-store, instead opting to sell them online. Now I’m a big online shopper, I love it, especially living abroad but I only love it because after 30 odd years I know my size. Being pregnant I don’t. Never has there been a more important time to try clothes on because I’m still coming to terms with my ever-changing shape. Trying to explain this to various shop assistants and managers I got some sympathetic glances and suggestions to try plus size clothing but i left feeling hugely disappointed. It’s not as if I’m the only pregnant woman in the world so what has changed the attitudes of the retailers? Why is being pregnant now out of fashion? Most fashion stores now stock a variety of ranges for different body types, tall, petite, plus-size. So why has pregnancy clothing suddenly been deemed uncommercial? In the few stores I visited which did stock maternity clothes there was a very limited range (usually just a rail or two) and bizarrely these sections were located in the most inaccessible parts of the store, requiring me to climb several flights of stairs, manoeuvre through enthusiastic bargain-hunters and rifle through childrenswear before finding my one pair of over-the-bump jeans. The store whose praises i would like to sing however is H&M. In virtually all the stores I entered I found a maternity range, clearly signposted and easy to find and with a decent range of fashionable clothes at reasonable prices. Were it not for them I would probably have burst into tears a few times during my shopping trip (I’ll blame the hormones). So to all the other retailers who have, for some unbeknown reason, decided to purge their stores of maternity clothes and move them all online; I urge you to reconsider. Having children is a wonderful thing and mothers are truly awesome at dealing with pregnancy and childbirth (trust me on this one) so please, please don’t alienate young mothers and make their self esteem take yet another beating. At a time when everything is changing lets allow mothers to at least indulge in a good bit of retail therapy. Yours sincerely (and pregnant) Olivia

Anticoagulants are only prescribed lifelong when there is a definite high risk of repeat incidents of strokes, heart attack, blood clots or similar. I personally suffered a blood clot, which was a pulmonary embolism blocking both arteries in my lungs and was told I would be lucky to survive the night. I was 29. There was no fault of my own attributed to the clot. And due to the severity of the clotting and the likelihood of repeats, with such a high risk of death I now rely on anticoagulants to prevent this. However, I have to pay for these, along with other medications which are related to the side effects of my drugs. This makes it very costly. These costs are inconsistent so it is not efficient for me to pay monthly. As an example, let's say I get a cold, firstly I'll be blowing my nose a lot which, due to the anticoagulants, gives me nosebleeds and I will need a prescription for a cream to help heal the capillaries in my nose. Secondly I will cough somewhat, and due to the scarring on my lungs, I will need painkillers for chest pain, but I cannot take over the counter ibuprofens as they are contraindicative to anticoagulants so I need prescription strength codeine. Plus my normal anticoagulants. That's three prescriptions just for a cold. And the added medications will send my anticoagulants levels out meaning I am no longer protected against further clots and therefore need a bridging medication until I'm better. That's four prescriptions just for a cold! Overall, I believe that because anticoagulants actually save my life and the lives of so many others on a daily basis, they should be provided free of charge.

When the NHS is stretched to the limits, this is money that could be better used.

Common decency and humanity should have made this petition unnecessary. Read more here: http://www.hamhighbroadway.co.uk/news/health/fury_over_department_of_health_delay_allocating_25m_to_contaminated_blood_victims_1_4158234

It's important not to ignore duty of care, decriminalizing cannabis so that people can use it as medicine for thereselves will elevate pressure away from the n.h.s, boost the economy and help people get off the opium, heroin and morphine based drugs which are getting people addicted or worse though overuse

It is vitally important that the NHS remains in Public Hands and not carved up and sold to "health for profit Companies. By suspending all MP's private healthcare it would force them (like the rest of us (their voters/constituents)) to do something about the sell off of this much needed (and loved) Public Asset.

because one day it might be your loved one who needs an organ to survive

The NHS and government constantly whine about how there's not enough public money for high quality health care, so why not instigate positive change by eliminating unnecessary waste? Big Pharma wastes billions from the national purse by making disposable medical implements. In their paradigm, waste and inefficiency makes their profits soar and grows their business because the public can always be relied upon to foot the bill. A simple way to stop the NHS hemorrhaging money is to curb this inefficiency. Too often we read reports about life saving operations that cannot be performed or expensive medicine that is withheld to suffering patients because of limited NHS funds, but the truth is that this will not stop until it pays Big Pharma to become efficient. Asthma sufferers are a good case in point. They literally cannot survive without regular use of their inhalers but are forced to discard its expensive delivery mechanism. Prior to the 90's the inhalers used to be smaller, cheaper and reusable but Big Pharma actively plotted and lobbied to make them much more expensive (see article) http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/heres-why-your-asthma-inhaler-costs-so-damn-much If we succeed in instigating this simple common sense initiative, the principle can be applied across the board. This will benefit all but the monopolists that don't seem to care less whether the 99% live or die.

It gives Morquio sufferers a better quality of life and prolongs their lives. It is vital. Our 6 year old son Harvey suffers from Morquio and as desperate parents along with all other Morquio sufferers, we really need this drug funded. NHS England could not come to a decision about funding and passed the buck to NICE.

Out of date suncream can have ether no effect or potentially can even have a damaging effect which can potentially mean people have a greater risk to skin cancer. Currently manufacturers are not required to put a use by date which means people may use until empty but this is very risky.

1 in 4 mothers did not get a midwife when they needed one (according to a a survey by the Royal College of Midwives and Bounty) . http://protect.rcm.org.uk/news Pressure on staff leads to low morale and nearly one third of midwives with less than 10 years’ work experience are intending to leave the profession within a year. Over half of obstetric units do not employ enough consultants to ensure appropriate cover at all times. Evidence suggests quality of care is less good at weekends. The rate of babies who are stillborn or who die within seven days of birth compares poorly with the other UK nations and some European countries – and this is just not good enough. http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-accounts-committee/news/maternity-services-report/ Do something now. Sign the petition before conditions get to the point where many experienced midwives are no longer there to train the students and to give appropriate care. Sign before we end up with more than 1 in 4 mothers getting little to no support at one of the most important times in their lives.

Because patents are getting bad service. Referrals aren't being made. Prescription changes being noticed at the pharmacy. False advertisement of opening times.