NHS services will be impossible to provide under the new Coronavirus Regulations, and those already in poverty will be hit hardest. New regulations requiring dentists to vacate surgeries for one hour after carrying out ‘aerosol generating procedures’ such as drilling, fillings and root canals, will drastically reduce the number of patients they can see, and make it financially impossible for surgeries to offer treatment under the NHS. Those in poverty often delay treatment due to the cost of dental charges. Without a good NHS system their oral health, including diagnoses of serious conditions like mouth cancer is going to suffer and their general health will follow suit.

Early October 2019, I'd recently found out I was pregnant. Not planned and I'm not ashamed to say that my plan going forward at that time was uncertain. Shortly after, I began experiencing bleeding. Sometimes very light, sometimes nothing, sometimes heavy. Although I was aware that some bleeding in pregnancy can be totally normal, I was concerned it wasn't normal for me, having had 3 healthy pregnancies with no early bleeding. I spoke to my EPU and was referred for a scan. By the time my appointment arrived, I'd been bleeding on and off for 12 days. Firstly I was greeted by a lovely trainee GP who I spoke with, explained my choices were uncertain but I had suspected a miscarriage. I made it clear that had that been the case, I would like to progress with the surgical management option to recover, at least physically from the ordeal as quickly as possible. She agreed. I was then scanned by another lady. My scan confirmed something I didn't expect. Twins. I was shown the screen and immediately felt a wave of guilt that I'd even considered termination. Seconds later, the sonographer told me One twin is significantly smaller than the other, I'm sorry but twin A has no heartbeat, I'm going to move on and check twin B' Seconds felt like hours. Then, ' twin b hasn't either. I'm sorry but your pregnancy isn't viable' At this point, my ears were ringing I couldn't process the information I'd been told. Twins. No heart beat. Neither have heartbeats. Non viable pregnancies. I felt like I was underwater while the world above continued. I was escorted in to the room next door, back to the trainee gp I'd seen earlier. The dr placed my scan photos, faced up on the table, clearly visible. I asked if I could take them, i was told no, due to data protection. But I could take photos while she had her back turned and pretend it hadn't happened. Still to this day, I'll never understand why photos of my babies would cause a data protection breech... I was handed a few forms to sign and a brown bag containing medication. At this point I reminded them of my want for surgical management route to be informed that because I'd miscarried, I would need to go to gyne and could be waiting days. She handed me the 1st tablet after explaining that she'd given medical management to 'help me out' I was informed I needed to take the 1st tablet in front of them and then I was free to leave to continue my treatment at home, 24 hours later. I walked out of the centre and I wasn't quite sure I even understood what just happened. I went home and looked at the pictures I had taken of my scan. Twin 1 measured 4.6mm and twin 2 measured 4.7mm. Going by my LMP, 5th September 2019, I was 6 weeks and 6 days pregnant. Mentally, I struggled. The days rolled in to nights, I led awake rearranging sernarios in my head. Forums, Google search and information pages became my life. I obsessed over it. Something didn't add up. I was told during my scan that one twin was 'significantly smaller than the other' My scans confirm that there was .1 of a mm between them. After my nights and days of scanning the net, I was also aware that there are many cases where mothers attend scans and it's simply been too early to see a heartbeat and they attend a week or so later to see a healthy flicker on the screen. Then it clicked. My babies were too small to confirm miscarriage. But it was too late. The misdiagnosis had already been given and the medication to expell them from my body had been taken. I began to explore the guidance set out by NICE. They state if the Crown to rump length is less than 7mm and no fetal heart beat is detected, perform a second scan a minimum of 7 days later, before a miscarriage can be confirmed. In my case, this did not happen. I was not offered a re scan. I was not given the opportunity to let them develop. My choices were taken from me. Because, I trusted the guidance of a professional. A professional that do not choose to follow the guidelines of NICE that day. For what reason, I have no idea. But there will never be an acceptable reason to justify what happened. I want to change that. I want to make it mandatory that in early pregnancy, if a heartbeat isn't detected and there is a possibility that a heartbeat is not yet established, health care professionals should ensure expectant mothers should be called back, before a diagnosis of a miscarriage can be given. Hospitals are given guidance to follow. But what I still struggle with on a daily basis is a prime example of why the change is so important. Living with the uncertainty of whether my pregnancy was a healthy one or a non viable one is something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. That could of been prevented by simply calling me back for another scan. Please help me change 'guidance' to mandatory to ensure many more women don't have to go through the experience that I, and no doubt so many others have had to. Thank you.

The Department of Health in Northern Ireland are refusing to commission abortion services, despite regulations now in place which make abortion provision a legal requirement. This means that only limited abortion access has been provided and too many women and pregnant people have been refused treatment or forced to travel to receive treatment. The Minister for Health has also stated that limited access is an ‘interim’ measure, but there has been has been NO attempt by the Department to provide the abortion provisions that we need. We have the law. Now we need the access.

A man, known only as Elvis, who had lived in the UK for 10 years and worked as a cleaner, died at home of coronavirus, after having severe symptoms for two weeks. He did not seek help from the NHS because he was scared he’d be landed with a huge, unaffordable bill for his treatment, or that he would be reported to immigration authorities. The Government’s hostile immigration policies mean that many migrants are too afraid to access the NHS, even if they have coronavirus symptoms. The NHS was founded on the principle of universal healthcare, that everyone could access for free, regardless of background, nationality, or ability to pay. The Hostile Environment means this is no longer the case. No one should avoid healthcare because they are scared of the debt they’ll incur, or that they’ll be deported, especially not during a public health crisis like Covid-19. The nature of coronavirus means that we are only as protected as the least protected amongst us. A recent report published by Migrants Organise, Medact, and the New Economics Foundation, told stories of many migrants avoiding accessing healthcare services during coronavirus because they fear being charged, or facing immigration enforcement. It clearly shows that adding Covid-19 to the list of conditions exempt from charging is not enough to ensure people can access care. There is widespread and growing outrage over the policy. Seven health institutions in the UK, including the British Medical Association, 100 civil society organisations and community associations, and 60 MPs, have all demanded that the government ends NHS charging for migrants and data sharing with the Home Office. It’s time for everyone to join this call for the Government to take emergency action to end NHS charging and data sharing during the coronavirus crisis. To defeat coronavirus we must stand together, support everyone in our communities, and ensure the NHS is free and safe for all who need it. It is our NHS. It should treat #PatientsNotPassports.

Many Optician practices across the UK carry out each eye examination at an average time of 20 minutes per patient or a staggering 10 minutes in some cases. These are unacceptable time scales and they place patients in danger as missed pathology can lead to serious eye disease and can sometimes lead to other serious health conditions. The practitioners who carry out these eye exams are also putting their careers at risk by agreeing to work to these time scales. Missed pathology will almost certainly lead to fitness to practise (FTP) hearings with the GOC, and the potential for erasure from the optician’s register is a real concern for all practitioners. The GOC’s overarching objective is the protection of the public (Opticians Act Section 1). However, they have not yet addressed this time scale issue. The GOC Registrant Survey 2016 states: “One area identified by participants as having an effect on patients was the length of the sight test. Some participants explained that employers and businesses can put pressure on registrants to conduct as many eye tests as they can in a day. This can result in registrants not being able to always spend enough time with patients. Participants also mentioned that they were under pressure to achieve certain “conversion rate” targets (i.e. to ensure that an eye test with a patient leads to the patient then buying glasses or contact lenses within the store).” We also believe that The College of Optometrists, the Association of Optometrists (AOP) and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) have collectively failed to provide clear and concise guidelines on this matter. Many people working within the industry feel that the answers possibly lie with the major High Street Opticians and their influence on all the bodies mentioned above, which surprisingly includes the governing body (GOC). The vast majority of these representative bodies, if not all, have at least one board member affiliated with a national high street optician chain. This is seen by many as a conflict of interest. A recurring question amongst practitioners is, how are these board members influencing these representative bodies behind closed doors? Every high street optical chain is reliant on high patient volume within their business models. Reduced exam times and the absence of law in this area, means more patients can be seen in each clinic. Which is great for business, profits and turnover, but not so great for the quality of patient care and it’s certainly not beneficial for the well-being of the practitioners that carry out the eye exams. Unfortunately many practitioners who work within these high street businesses are ‘performance managed’ to work to these time scales. Failure to adhere to the current time scales leads to practitioners being ‘performance managed’ out of the businesses. This unacceptable behaviour highlights the profits before patients syndrome, which has been like a cancer that’s spread through the profession over the years. This conveyor belt system leads the public to view practitioners in this field as glasses sellers or salesmen. Whereas the truth is far from this view. A Journal of Optometry study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911451/) found that Optometrists working in Multiple Optician chains were twice as likely to refer false positives to the Hospital Eye Service (HES) compared to Independent Optician practices. When you factor in the shortage of Ophthalmologists (Centre for Workforce Intelligence, 2014) working in the HES. False positive referrals can have a significant impact on the HES. The same study went on to claim; “Myint and colleagues found that lack of TIME to repeat measurements, or remuneration for doing such, as the most commonly reported barriers to effective glaucoma detection in the UK”. The study also found that after the introduction of the new Scottish NHS GOS contract which allows for longer exam times, “there was a significant reduction in false positive referrals and a significant increase in true positive referrals.” An example of the effect this can have on the HES: (https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/professional-support/health-services/2019/11/11/glaucoma-patient-who-went-blind-receives-three-point-two-million-pound-compensation) The AOP’s own “Optometrists Futures Survey” from October 2018 (section 7.3.2) clearly highlights the need for changes to increase the exam times. Almost two years have passed and this point has yet to be addressed by the AOP. The Optical Workforce Survey (2015), Lead by The College of Optometry, states the following regarding the pressures on the HES: “Since 2004, the Department of Health (DH) has been trying to encourage the delivery of more routine and minor emergency eye care outside hospital settings in community optical practices. The aim is to free up hospital capacity to cope with increasing demand from both the ageing population and new technologies such as treatments for wet age related macular degeneration (The King’s Fund, 2009).” This highlights the urgent need to reduce false positive referrals caused by the commercial pressures which impose inadequate examination times on practitioners. The current pandemic also highlights the importance of longer eye exam times. The use of PPE, disinfection and social distancing measures will require added time to carry out eye exams once the suspension on routine sight testing has been lifted. There is also the lingering prospect of potential monopolies being formed, (https://www.financierworldwide.com/essilorluxottica-and-grandvision-agree-8bn-merger#.Xs-8WxbTWEc). This will no doubt effect patient safety as the aim of increasing commercial revenue will take precedence. By signing this petition you will help safeguard patients and practitioners as well as highlight the points made in this petition to the government.

Social and childcare workers have worked tirelessly during the Covid Outbreak. Care homes have been a significant source of infection, with many social care staff not going home. Some live in caravans and some risk their families contracting the virus. The majority of Social Care staff are on National Minimum Wage. The WELSH government made the statement, they should stick to it. Many professionals would have been unable to go to work without childcare staff and for this reason, the payment should extend to them too.

Today the government confirmed that is pressing ahead with its plans to impose the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which must be paid by non-EU workers on long-term visas; this includes all non-EU doctors, nurses and health workers who are working in the NHS and care services. Someone who wishes to come to work in the UK has to pay this fee before they can progress their visa application - if it is not paid their application will be automatically rejected. The IHS must be paid once a visa application has been submitted online ; a simple redirect in the booking system takes you to the payment page. It is calculated with reference to the number of years someone wishes to remain in the UK, and in January 2019 rose to £400 per year (pro-rata) per applicant - it will shortly rise yet again to have £600. There are no discounts for dependants, including children, all of whom must pay the full IHS. This government is seeking to financially damage the workers who it stands and applaudes each week. These are workers who are giving their all to the people of this country - they should be paid properly for this and not penalised for using the institution that they wish to serve. This country is reliant on overseas health workers and yet this government is trying to deter them from coming to work here.

The public are at risk from cross infections and no formal training by thousands of barbers and hairdressers within the industry in Scotland Now with a pandemic in play it should be more enforced by public health services local authorities and the Scottish government Public protection is of the upmost importance and awareness of this matter should be of great value to protect them and the barber and hairdressing industry by regulation on said health and safety grounds

We want to initiate an annual 'Day of Celebration for the NHS'. To take place on July 5th, the anniversary date of the inauguration of the NHS in 1948. To honour all the marvellous people who work within it. And to thank them all for their incredible self-sacrificing care in helping & treating us, not only during this terrible current Corona Virus crisis. But throughout each & every year. Such an occasion would be not only an ongoing testament to our eternal gratitude. But could be a focus for all kinds of charitable & fund raising events in support of our wonderful NHS.

There are national inconsistencies about how people can access mental health services. For physical health we have the 111 option. We are petitioning to have an option 2 when ringing 111 for the caller to access their local mental health services. Through COVID19 planning, every mental health service nationally have had to develop a 24 hour crisis service. Therefore, the option 2 can link to the callers local crisis care centre to access the mental health support they need. This has already been implemented in Cambridge; all other areas need to be supported to follow suit. We must demand parity for mental health access.

We understand that the Swanage based Ambulance Car could be withdrawn in June. We were shocked to hear that there were plans to withdraw the Car on April 1st. Following Councillors meeting with the Ambulance Trust and lobbying Dorset Council Health Scrutiny, and the Town Council writing to the Ambulance Trust and the Clinical Commissioning Group, we were told the car would remain for two months, and the situation would be reviewed in June. We had previously understood that under the Clinical Services Review ambulance resources allocated to Swanage would actually be increased. We must keep the Swanage Ambulance Car and our excellent Paramedics. The Car is a Rapid Response Vehicle - a fast car - based at Swanage, and covering Purbeck. Unlike the regular Swanage Ambulance, which can be outside Purbeck all day, the Car does not take patients to hospital, and the agreement was that the Car would remain in Purbeck, unless there was a major emergency. Therefore, as well being part of our Ambulance resources, this fast Car is much more likely to get to us quickly in an emergency. The Car supports the health of Swanage and Purbeck residents, and, crucially, helps save our lives. We’ve been told that Ambulance resources at Wareham have increased. However, there may not be an Ambulance in Wareham (or in Purbeck) at the time one is needed in Swanage and villages, and, in any case, it’s impossible to get from Wareham to Swanage in 8 minutes, which is the target time for a category 1 (imminent danger of death) emergency. The Ambulance Car was first allocated to Swanage as compensation for the overnight closure of the Swanage Cottage Hospital Minor Injuries Unit, back in 2008. There was recognition at that time that it was a long way to Poole from Swanage, and there needed to be overnight support here. Under the Clinical Services Review, emergency care will no longer be provided at Poole, and we will have even further to travel to access A&E, Maternity and Children’s care. The Swanage and Purbeck Ambulance Car + Paramedic: i) provides a rapid response (as nearer and faster) to save life in emergency pending arrival of the ambulance Ii) treats the 50% of patients who do not need to go to hospital at the scene, avoiding unnecessary journeys to Poole, and protecting hospital resources Iii) provides a replacement service when the Swanage Minor Injuries Unit is closed (8pm - 8am). iv) supports Purbeck GP home visits, helping to ensure that these are covered. Indeed we believe that the Purbeck GP’s are open to looking at making a contribution towards retaining the Ambulance Car. It is a matter of life and death for us to retain this essential service. /Users/Mel1/Desktop/Swange Amb Car.jpg

We deserve it we put our lives on the line and family at ridk