Categories
COVID-19 Defend the NHS Privatisation TTIS

Public Health and Primary Care

In January 2019, Doctors in Unite issued proposals relating to public health and primary care. This document has now been revised. In the light of COVID-19 the authors believe that if these proposals had been implemented before the pandemic struck then the UK would have been able to respond much more quickly to the need […]

Categories
Government Policy Hostile Environment NHS Surcharge

NHS surcharges have been dropped for overseas health workers. We must now end all unfair healthcare costs

Doctors in Unite is delighted that the government have seen sense and ended the NHS surcharge for overseas health workers. We all owe health workers from overseas a huge debt. They often carry out the work which attracts the lowest pay, and without them the NHS would collapse. They don’t just contribute in the hours […]

Categories
COVID-19 Testing TTIS Uncategorized

Testing times require radical solutions

We believe that the failure of the UK government to properly coordinate testing for COVID-19 has contributed to the UK suffering the highest death toll in Europe. Countries that have had lower mortality adopted robust testing strategies early on. Testing centres are not local to where most people live. A common stipulation is that they […]

Categories
DNACPR Government Policy

Blanket DNACPRs are not the solution for panicked healthcare rationing

The rising death rate from COVID-19 and the pressure of the pandemic on a weakened NHS have caused warranted anxiety. There were reports from Italy of rationing, when life saving equipment was simply unavailable for some sick patients, and difficult triage decisions had to be made by doctors. Many deaths in the UK are occurring […]

Categories
COVID-19 DNACPR Government Policy Hospitals and IPC

Thoughtlessly placed DNARs do harm to patients and doctors

Doctors in Unite reiterate our opposition to any scoring system being used as a blanket cut-off to people accessing hospital care. We understand that conversations with patients about their wishes with regard to treatment and end of life care can be very helpful to ensure dignity in dying, but these must be undertaken with the […]

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commissioning Defend the NHS Government Policy Local Authority Privatisation

Matt Hancock offered to auction his football shirt for the NHS – we need proper funding, not charity gimmicks

Doctors in Unite would like to remind the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care that the NHS is not a charity but a government funded health service, set up in 1948 with the specific intention to remove health care from the precarious state of reliance on income or beneficence. Matt Hancock has his […]

Categories
COVID-19 TTIS Zero COVID and Government Strategy

Our exit from lockdown must be safe and sustainable

The UK has been in lockdown since March 23rd 2020 in an attempt to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Six weeks on the number of new cases per day has begun to decrease and the government and businesses are clamouring to restart the UK economy. We believe that people’s health should come before profit […]

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DiU and Unite Unite Leader statements

A message of solidarity for the National Education Union

Our chair Dr Jackie Applebee has a message of solidarity for the National Education Union.

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COVID-19 DNACPR Government Policy Hospitals and IPC Podcasts Staying safe

Episode 5: DNARs

The co-chair of Keep Our NHS Public, Dr John Puntis, joins the podcast today to discuss the use of DNARs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Categories
DiU and Unite H&S at work Podcasts

Episode 4: Trade Union Membership

Dr Ron Singer is the vice-president of Doctors in Unite and was the chair during its centenary in 2014. He joins the podcast today to talk about the utility of trade union membership during the coronavirus pandemic.