999 Demand is rising fast. In 2005 Ambulance Services received around 5 million calls. In 2015 they received over 9 million. Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) statistics show that the number of Qualified Ambulance Staff on the frontline only increased by 283 over the same period. It is recorded that there were 17417 Qualified Ambulance Staff in 2005 and 17700 in 2015 over a period where demand increased by over 4 million calls per year. The government correctly states that there are over 2000 more Paramedics in the NHS now than in 2010 but many of these staff were already counted in the Qualified Ambulance Staff bracket, having previously been Emergency Medical Technicians. Also, many newly qualified Paramedics simply fill vacant positions created by Paramedics who are leaving the service at a rate of around 1000 per year. Paramedics who are leaving the service often cite the stress and pressure associated with the high demand as a contributory factor to their decision to leave. Staff often work long shifts (10 or 12 hours) without rest breaks or with only a short rest break taken after hours of back to back jobs. On most shifts there are already calls waiting when ambulance crews become available again after an emergency call. They often work longer than their contracted hours due to calls that take them over their finishing time. A growing number of people are calling 999 with conditions which could be more appropriately managed in the Primary Care setting, such as their GP Surgery. Patients are reporting difficulties with arranging routine appointments because of the pressure on other areas of the NHS. Historically, these patients have been transported to A+E like any other 999 case even though they do not necessarily have an acute medical problem which requires emergency treatment. Now the focus is on taking healthcare to the patient in order to reduce unnecessary A+E attendances. Over the last decade, ambulance staff have taken on extra skills, responsibilities and autonomy in order to assist them with recognising, treating and referring these patients to the most appropriate alternative care pathways rather than using A+E by default. Entrance into the profession is now via higher education, with student Paramedics attaining degree level qualifications. Some Paramedics have also undertaken further education and training in order to work in more advanced roles, such as Critical Care or Urgent Care Practitioners. This might mean they are able to provide more advanced care in an emergency, prescribe antibiotics for minor ailments or suture minor injuries without the patient needing to attend A+E. All but one of our Ambulance Services have reportedly failed to hit government imposed response time targets recently. Because of the high demand, the government are changing response time targets so that Ambulance Services now have longer to assess calls which are not deemed immediately life threatening and longer to respond to them. Conditions such as Chest Pain and Difficulty in Breathing, which used to have an 8 minute response time, may now have a 19 minute response time in order for the Ambulance Services to identify and allocate the most appropriate resources rather than focussing solely on the response time. A number of media outlets have also reported that ambulances are often unable to respond to emergencies due to the length of time they are queuing to handover patients at A+E departments. Hospital handover and ambulance turnaround times are strictly monitored and partnership systems have been implemented to try and speed up the process. Despite these changes and initiatives, statistics show that our Ambulance Services are still struggling to keep up with demand and staff are feeling the pressure. Are our Ambulance Services in a position to take up the strain of other areas of the NHS without further investment? Ambulance Services are doing their best to innovate and make the best use of the resources at their disposal. More funding would allow Ambulance Services to increase the number of staff and resources, try new initiatives in order to meet the high demand, reduce the burden on already over crowded A+E departments, relieve the pressure on ambulance staff who are trying to keep up with demand, improve patient satisfaction and could ultimately save lives. If you agree that the government should provide more funding for our Ambulance Services, please sign the petition.

Plans have been drawn up in secret for yet another top-down re-organisation of our NHS. Called Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs), their main aim is to reduce NHS spending by around £22 billion by 2020-21 across England. In the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area alone (HIOW), which includes Southampton, £1 billion of savings, must be made over the next 5 years. These plans represent the second radical, top-down reorganisation of our NHS in 4 years. Local planners have been forbidden to conduct consultations on the whole plan for the area. So there will only be piecemeal consultations where particular problems arise. Although the plans contain some good ideas for integrating health and social care, the financial reductions required will limit how these can be achieved. Earlier drafts of the STP, and published discussions amongst NHS Managers, show that the STP is based on some really worrying assumptions: e.g. that 3 out of the 6 acute hospitals in HIOW will be unsustainable in the next 5 years, or that 30% of GP practices will be unsustainable by 2020/21. Local people are entitled to know how these judgements were made, and to have their say on the plans. This petition is organised by: Southampton Keep Our NHS Public. (SKONP).

The regional Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) is a largely hidden, high-level plan to hurriedly bring about the integration of health and social care, with a central role given to private providers. It is motivated more by hope than any real understanding of need and with no consultation with professionals and the public. - From the extreme level of “savings” outlined in both the STP and the part of the plan focused on mid-Sussex & East Surrey it is clear that the key objective is to reduce costs regardless of consequence. - In illustration of this, the amount our region (STP footprint 33) is being asked to save by 2020/21 is a staggering £653 million. - “Savings” already specified in the STP report include £112m on social care - £47.4m to be saved by encouraging GPs not to refer people to hospital - These plans nationally will put the final nail in the coffin of a comprehensive NHS and locally will have an irrevocably damaging impact on the health of city residents. - Local authorities round England are now protesting about STP and refusing to sign up. One local authority has initiated legal action. As citizens of Brighton & Hove we ask that the HOSC, with its role of overseeing and scrutinising our local health services, act urgently. We urge you as our elected representatives to: - Pass a motion of opposition to STP - Set up a review panel to call witnesses to account for all aspects of the STP and the Place-based Delivery Plan so an informed decision can be made by the whole council. - Initiate a full public consultation on the final detailed plan before any decisions are made to ratify it 1. https://www.coastalwestsussexccg.nhs.uk/building-first-class-health-and-care-system-for-sussex-and-east-surrey 2. Google 'Central Sussex and East Surrey Place-based Delivery Plan' for the PDF figures, page 16 3. For more general information and a detailed STP flyer- http://defendthenhssussex.weebly.com/

Heads in maintained Schools in Devon are already struggling to balance their books and retain staff. This will be a cut too far and have a massive impact on School staffing, teacher morale and, ultimately, our children's education and futures.

If they close our council office we have no place to report faults pay rent or council tax. I don't think it's fair for the pensioner's to travel mile away to the nearest one

It's a crucial community amenity asset.

We as locals of the windmill feel very strongly about keeping our pub. The Windmill has been on this site since the 1800s, the windmill caters for all age groups, There are 8 dart teams which plays Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon and Thursday night there is bingo which is supported well. On Wednesday and Saturday nights there is entertainment on Friday and Sunday there is Karaoke which is has a big following. Good food is served throughout the week at a reasonable price, and a great carvery on Sunday which you normally have to book to get in. Not forgetting the Real ale which are served at reasonable prices. The locals have also over the years raised £1000's of pound for charity most recently over two night we have raised £1600 for a defibrillator. Please lets not lose another local pub which is doing well.

To adhere to certain lifestyles and certain intolerances that are current, there should be an alternative in order to avoid any illness or inconvenience.

Pelsall Library is less than five years old - it is in a state of the art multi purpose building £5.2m. Closing the facility now would be retrograde and a complete and utter waste of taxpayer money. Pelsall Library is enjoyed by all young and old - a lifeline to many and a hub of the Pelsall community

Land and Property Services Kill Link Academy CIC 5 years ago we opened link Academy a Community Interest Company in the heart of the city to provide artistic space for musicians. A Community Interest Company which is non-profit and to provide access and space for young musicians to create. As we are not recognised as a charity we had to apply for an re-evaluation and exception in Business Rates from land and property services, as we were not for profit, music education, working with young people and working in the fine Arts this is possible as rates exemptions have been allocated in the past under similar circumstances. After lengthy discussions and little movement form the Land and property services the process was long and detailed, we had to prove our worth providing documentation accounts and numerous meetings in the building. After four years the land and property services give us an exemption for future operation, and became the first Community interest company to receive an exemption in Northern Ireland, however did not give us a full backdate and are looking for us to pay for the year 2012 and partially of 2013 (City of Culture Years), this amounts to £11,000. Our legal team who helped us with obtaining the exemption done fantastic work, but felt this was the best deal on the table and work forward with the exemption and try repay the back dated fee. We tried to negotiate a repayment deal but the Land and property services would only go into a short-term repayment deal which is impossible to achieve. Where the problem exists. As a community interest company the directors can be paid, however we decided to alter our articles of association to reflect this and insert a clause to prevent directors from collecting remunerations from the company. However never since our incorporation no directors have been paid for any services or collected remunerations from the company. We have all worked voluntary for five years to sustain the Artistic hub and Space. All our accounts to company house submitted annually show that no directors collected remunerations since our incorporation. The land and property services have backdated the exemption to the date where we inserted the clause to prevent directors from collecting remunerations. And no exemption for the period when the company was operating when it was possible to pay directors for services. (Note no Directors have ever or intended in the future to receive pay. This was a decision by the company and not one that was enforced by the land and property services). After consideration and conversations with people in the land and property services, legally and politically about the reasons we did not receive an exemption for the initial period, it is evident that we have support. However today no legalisation exists to protect community groups like us from governmental services. During the period to which the property services are looking to recuperated rent we received funding from three different bodies, The Ireland Fund, the British Council, and the Derry and Arts Councils. Why is it possible for the government to give with one hand and not protect with the other who it gives to? Also it is clear that this is costing the government more in fees and working hrs. of staff, We at at link believe that we have operated the company in a non profit ethos with the emphasis on music , education and youth, and no directors have been paid. We have worked tirelessly to maintain a building in the centre of the city to provide access to the arts culture and music, knowing that this is an essential hub for many young musicians. Next week Thursday 8th, the land and property services will move to bankrupt the company in the high court for the amount of rates not recovered. Today I am asking you for your help to stay this judgment and encourage the property services to revisit the issue for full exemption. Thank You Kindly, From all the musicians and artists at Link Academy CIC

A family has been torn apart for the past 11 months because of the UKVI / Home Office's refusal to abide by a judge's decision that his mum should be granted a visa. A 3 year-old British boy has been shared between his mum in China and his dad in the UK. This is having a detrimental effect on him, he is confused and upset and needs a stable family unit, which was supported by the tribunal judge, who was also fully satisfied that this applicant meets all of the UK Visas and Immigrations requirements for a spouse's visa with a right to a family life in the UK. The Home Office claims that the appeal was abandoned when Mary returned to China whilst the appeal was pending, however, the tribunal permitted the hearing to proceed after Mary submitted a request to them for her husband to represent her. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-38012751?SThisFB http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/hswallingfordnews/14922259.Wallingford_family_missing_mum_who_is_stuck_in_China/ http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2016-11/28/content_27508080.htm

Plans to ban obese patients or smokers in North Yorkshire from getting NHS care are being drawn up. NHS bosses have tried this before, but after a public outcry, they backed down. We need to tell them a final time that these plans are unfair and cruel. Obesity and smoking are often symptoms of stress, long term physical and mental illness, trauma, bereavement, loss of job, financial stress and many other factors. Inflammation in the brain compounding, even causing depression, anxiety and other symptoms which make it impossible to assert healthy behaviours for many, depending on the severity of the illness. Medications used to treat illness also often cause the side effect of obesity. The move from the Vale of York CCG is heartless, poorly researched and in my opinion cruel punishment which will inevitably cause a painful death. I think these NHS bosses are unfit for purpose to even consider it, so we need to tell them to stop the plans. They would be better charged to work on prevention rather than a 'cure' which is only geared towards cutting costs by targeting the most vulnerable. The NHS is not a business, contrary to proposals. We and our forefathers pay and have worked for it. It is Governmental duty to administer what is the best, overall, health system in the world according to global studies. All these points are well documented in multiple vigorous research studies, found by a simple search on some of the keywords.