• Rescind the Governing Body Decision to downgrade Corby Urgent Care Centre
    If this erroneous decision is not rescinded then it would create a two tier urgent care system that would exclude, workers, visitors and those that participate in the full range of sporting fixtures that happen in the area from accessing and using the urgent care centre: putting untold pressure on KGH A&E and the East Midlands Ambulance Service.
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    Created by Lyn Buckingham
  • Stop anonymous tip offs to the DWP
    Over the year 2016-2017 nearly 174,000 allegations were closed and 149,450 (86%) of tip offs were incorrect allegations. Over the financial years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 332,850 cases were closed following reports by members of the public (of benefit fraud). Of these 287,950 were found to have no or little evidence to substantiate the claim (87%) We need to stop the culture of hunting out benefit fraud, as most of the time the allegations are incorrect. Going through this process has a detrimental effect on disabled and chronically ill people’s mental and physical health. We believe that if the public are to remain involved in reporting on alleged benefit fraud then they should not be allowed to do this anonymously and should have to give at least their name and national insurance number. This will help to make people think about their actions before picking up the phone, will help to reduce bogus allegations, and will make improvements to this culture of thinking people on benefits are scrounges and that disabled/chronically ill people are faking (when in fact they are probably faking being well most of the time). If someone is found to be a serial malicious reporter then they should be fined and banned from giving tip offs again. The general public have a slim view and understanding of what disability/chronic illness ‘looks like’ resulting in more reports of benefit fraud and disabled/chronically ill people being scared to leave the house for fear they’ll be reported increasing isolation in communities and fears that your neighbour is spying on your every move. Let’s stop feeding this narrative. Please help us make some positive changes to the benefits system. Together we rise! Faye Dempsey, Ellie Hicks, Alison Morton Articles of interest: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/01/spy-on-your-neighbour-britain-demonisation-benefit-claimants-disabled-people www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/benefit-fraud-public-tip-offs-legal-action-police-no-evidence-dwp-work-pensions-department-a8144096.html
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    Created by Faye Dempsey
  • Online Supermarkets to have Food Bank Function
    Personally, I often forget to donate to food banks until I see the crate at the exit of the supermarket, and by then I'm all packed up and ready to go home. Of course, I could be more aware, and work on making it become a habit, but at the moment, I'm not very tuned in, although I'd love to be! Anyway, when I do my online grocery shop, which I am now trying to do on a more regular basis, I thought there was a significant change that could be made which would allow me to donate to food banks whilst doing the shop. For example, when I get my two tins of tuna for a discounted price, I could add one of those tins of tuna into a separate 'food bank' list. Rather than delivering these items to me, they could go straight into a food bank deposit system. Obviously it would need to be a simple user interface that doesn't get mixed up and confuse people and suddenly you receive the items you were trying to donate and the food bank receives the full order... So it could be quite difficult to do (I've got no idea, I don't work in systems!). Anyway, this is just an idea that I believe could work really well and could result in some valuable relationships between supermarkets and those in need.
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    Created by Frances Hills
  • Save Boston Spa School
    We need answers from all parties involved. The school is a big part of our community.
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    Created by Claire Wiggins
  • Stop 'GP at Hand' putting women at risk of cervical cancer
    I signed up to make my GP surgery, the new NHS pilot called GP at Hand. There are adverts for the service all over the tube. As a woman over 25, we need smear tests to prevent cervical cancer. It's a 10 minute test that GP practices offer, often administered by a nurse. 'GP at Hand' only have one nurse for smear tests in the whole of London. They're based in far west London (Fulham), more than an hours' journey for most of us registered on the service. It's outrageous that NHS England have given them a contract when their provision for women is dangerously low. Just last week a woman died from cervical cancer when she was 36 having never had a smear test. Around 3,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK and the simple 10-minute test could save lives. A GP service only offering this service a 2 hour journey away is insane. Please sign the petition demanding NHS England cancel the contract unless GP at Hand add more options for smear tests in London.
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    Created by Nat Whalley
  • Save humanity - Support homeless people in Stratford
    For several years Stratford Shopping Centre have stayed open 24hrs a day allowing for those whom are homeless to have somewhere dry and secure to shelter/sleep during the night. However as of today (29/01/2018) they have handed orders to all those currently staying in the centre, ordering them to leave with immediate effect. This means the homeless people are being forced out on to the streets in these extreme weathers, some of these people don’t even own a sleeping bag or adequate warm clothing which means they are at high risk of falling extremely ill. We are petitioning for Stratford Centre/Newham Council to rethink their decision and to continue allowing for our homeless friends to continuing using Stratford as a secure place for them to be during the night as many of them are highly vulnerable and some are also very elderly. Newham Council urgently need to support these homeless people with their housing/accommodation as these people cannot continue living on the streets.
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    Created by Sherrel Mcneish
  • Allow Dr Glen to open a branch surgery in Caldercruix
    Dr Glen has renewed her application to add Plains, Caldercruix and Hillend to her practice area and is hoping to achieve this by August 2018 with agreement from Lanarkshire NHS. The Primary Care Department of NHS Lanarkshire gave assurances in Caldercruix in January 2014 at a public meeting that there would continue to be GP services in Caldercruix at dedicated premises.The present service is well short of the assurances given to Alex Neil MSP in 2014 about a commitment to having a GP in the village. Assurances were also given to the Scottish Government that a GP would be in place in the village. The NHS is under pressure and Dr Glen is able to offer appointments in a permanent building with nursing and administrative support all ready to run for the benefit of local villages.
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    Created by Carol Campbell Picture
  • Save our Coffee Shop
    Miss Tina’s is being asked to pay full Business Rent on our facilities. Unfortunately, as a not-for-profit organisation, this will result in the closure of Miss Tina’s in Barmston. Please could you show your support for keeping Miss Tina’s open by signing the petition to reduce our rent.
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    Created by Tina Hogben
  • Save QEQM Stroke Service
    These vital life saving services should be provided at QEQM in Margate. Anyone having a stroke needs to act FAST and get to a hospital for treatment as quickly as possible. Ashford is simply too far away. Thanet already has some of the worst stroke outcomes. Life saving stroke treatment should not be cut due to reducing funding in our NHS.
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    Created by Karen Constantine
  • Let the NHS manage Wellness and Cancer, not just deliver current treatments
    Current projections for cancer show that 1 in 2 of us will be diagnosed in our lifetimes. And obviously, even once its reached 1 in 2, it continues Current treatment attacks the cancer, and therefore the body's own systems There are a growing number of people aiming to rebuild/strengthen their immune systems instead. None of this date is being collected and used. Similarly for the many millions of people regularly taking responsibility for their health themselves. We need to change the way we manage health, and learn from wellness, not just illness. For e.g We're facing 1 in 2 being diagnosed with cancer. The only treatment offered, allowed, or assessed is chemical, aiming to destroy the cancer. No one is assessing people working toward natural, or integrated wellness at all The NHS see 1m people every 36 hrs. If they were collecting information about wellness, not only would the data fund the NHS and more, it would help what we know about reducing all illness, including cancer. Cancer research looks primarily at how we attack cancer in ways that are increasingly less brutal. No one's looking at how we live well with cancer so it can cope with the illness, and strengthen the body rather than attacking the illness. This is true for many other illnesses. Looking at kinder ways to strengthen the body could impact on all illnesses, not just cancer. We're becoming immune to what 1 in 2 being diagnosed with cancer really means, as it's too scary to really consider. Take a moment. 1 in 2 of our loved ones getting cancer, and only being offered treatments that attack the body. 1 in 2 having this treatment might not be the best we can do. How do we know if we don't look? It's no enough just to keep managing a rapidly spreading illness. We need to look at how to reduce the numbers. Screw '1 in 2' Please comment, so we can add your experience to ours, and join a Health Crowdsolving group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Dyingtoknow/. All you need is your opinion, and you can help to make a difference. The aims of this specific group are to involve people in looking at how we manage wellness; to look at how we take personal responsibility for our own health; and to help make change.
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    Created by Carol Coombes Picture
  • Stop the STP
    As a result of underfunding our local NHS has some of the worst A&E waiting times in the country, fewer GPs and am an ambulance service in special measures, missing targets and putting lives in danger. While people lie waiting in corridors, the Tories are publishing plans that use words like transformation and integration when they mean cuts and rationing. These plans, called Sustainability & Transformation Plans (STPs), will cut £486 million from the NHS in Kent. It’s not about improving healthcare, it’s all about cutting costs. Since the government’s disastrous Health and Social Care Act was passed the NHS has been continuously sliced up for tendering out. The STPs make NHS services even more vulnerable to selling off to huge corporations through so-called Accountable Care Systems, even while the NHS itself becomes less joined up and as we have seen this winter less able to cope with needs and demand.
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    Created by Chris Cornell
  • Call in the Decision and Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole (its too near Sellafield)
    What Opponents are Saying: "If this mine were to go ahead and the coal that is now safely underground in the custody of Cumbria County Council were to end up as CO2 in the atmosphere, there would be a serious risk of climate change impacts including some thousands of deaths extending long into the future. The mine could also result in global loss of livelihoods and homes numbering many times greater than the jobs created in Cumbria." Laurie Michaelis. ( He was a Lead Author or Convening Lead Author on several IPCC reports, including the Special Report on Emission Scenarios). "Disturbance of nesting seabirds during construction and operation... The development has the potential to have an adverse effect upon the St Bees Head SSSI through disturbance to both breeding and wintering birds during construction and operation." RSPB “ little supporting information appears to have been provided by the applicant regarding the excavation of the new drifts" National Trust “It is clear that this is a very large mine, with a very long life span…of 20-50 years and a peak of 2.8 million tonnes a year. Assuming a 40 year life (following construction), and an average of 2 million tonnes a year, that is a total production of 80 million tonnes, which will emit around 175 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The level of emissions and proposed life-time of the mine is of major concern….We would also query whether or not there has been robust enough analysis of the potential for seismicity (and subsidence) relating to well-known nuclear facilities in the wider area, including Sellafield and proposed new facility at Moorside? What potential is there for seismicity to effect these and other facilities (including the low level waste repository at Drigg) and the possible high level waste radioactive waste facility which has been proposed in West Cumbria for some time.” Friends of the Earth "The mining company’s aspiration is that scarce investment funding will come from Cumbria’s Local Enterprise Partnership. I will be very interested to understand the business justification for any such investment.” Graham Vincent, Portfolio Holder for Economy, South Lakeland District Council “The application should be rejected because it is not in the national interest. From reviewing the documents submitted by West Cumbria Mining it is clear that the intention is to export the coal to Europe and Asia…The application to mine is too close to the Sellafield nuclear site and the proposal for another nuclear power station at Moorside. Underground mining can have a significant impact on the surrounding areas, recently a coking coal mine in Russia triggered an earthquake.” Coal Action Network "There are significant risks of subsidence offshore, where there are known to be layers of chemical and radioactive pollution on the sea bed. The application addresses this by extracting only a significant distance off shore, and pumping mining waste back into the voids which it is claimed will reduce the subsidence risk. a. Toxic substances disturbed by subsidence would move freely through the marine environment and there could be no way of preventing adverse impacts in protected areas, and to fish and other marine organisms. One impact which can bring the reality of the risk home to us, is that the percentage of multi-wintering salmon returning to Cumbrian rivers has reduced from 25% to 2-3%. All the rest die at sea. Our river salmon populations are plummeting, and have been described as an extinction event, and it is due to changes in the marine ecology and environment." Mrs Maggie Mason BA(Arch) Dip TP "As I understand it, the sole justification from a sustainability point of view is that the extracted coal will be coking coal, not thermal coal (for use in power stations), with some preposterous notion that this will apparently produce a lower carbon footprint than coking coal imported from other countries. Yet so far as I can tell, no detailed lifecycle analysis, both direct and indirect, has been done by West Cumbria Mining, so why would anyone swallow that particular pile of coking crap?" Jonathon Porritt "Given that this coal mine would extend to just 8km from Sellafield's high level radioactive wastes it is incumbent on Cumbria County Council to remember that the precautionary principle is at the heart of Environmental Law in the UK. A good reason to invoke the precautionary. principle is the possibility of liquefaction at Sellafield resulting from earthquakes in the West Cumbria area as described in a recent scientific paper by Martin Cross, Anass Attya, David J. A. Evans : The susceptibility of glacigenic deposits to liquefaction under seismic loading conditions: a case study relating to nuclear site characterization in West Cumbria". Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole, a Radiation Free Lakeland campaign "When the coal mines are exhausted, there is a high risk that the exhausted empty coal mines will be used as a nuclear waste repository, wherein nuclear waste fragments from nearby Sellafield will be mixed with liquid concrete and then injected under high pressure into the empty coal mines to backfill them. If the concrete encapsulation fails, the coal mines will be a constant source of nuclear contamination in future.." Dr Timothy Norris The Environment Agency, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Scientists for Global Responsibility, Dr Laurie Michaelis IPCC author and others continue to state that insufficient evidence has been provided by the developers with no independent assessments having been carried out or asked for by the Council.. The Committee was misled into unanimous approval of the coal mine. We urge the Secretary of State to call this application in for his own determination at the earliest opportunity.
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    Created by Marianne Birkby