What is a wholly owned subsidiary company? The first thing to say is that the Minister for Health, Jeremy Hunt, loves them. These companies can be used to reduce costs by cutting pay and increasing workload by rewriting contracts of employment. NHS staff who are placed under a wholly owned subsidiary company effectively have two bosses, but both of them are the same Trust!! By creating a company to deal with contracts of employment the nasty business of cutting pay and increasing workload does not tarnish the Trust’s image as a caring institution. It allows the Trust to split its responsibilities. On the wards, staff have to give the high standard of care to maintain the reputation of the Trust, while the company that actually employs them demands value-for-money. This is bound to create stress. Trade union organisation is deliberately made more difficult as the company and the Trust separate employment from work, and each can blame the other when staff complain? Why do the trade unions and health professionals oppose wholly owned subsidiary companies? Because the argument in favour of them is flawed. The Minister for Health, Jeremy Hunt, claims wholly owned subsidiary companies offer NHS trusts ‘tax flexibility’ because they will pay less VAT. This is a preposterous argument. The government can absolve the NHS from paying any VAT should it choose to do so. And as the NHS is publically funded why would any government sanction tax avoidance? Hunt also argues that Trusts have a duty to offer services that are ‘value-for-money’, but this is nothing more than dressing up cuts to the NHS as a noble public duty. Health care is important, its costs need to be found. Labour and trade union experts say that the new firms are a “back door to privatisation”. Trusts set up wholly owned subsidiary companies behind closed doors in consultation with business advisers. Only when the deed has been done are trade unions and staff informed. A public service run as a business is easier to privatise. Wholly owned subsidiary companies are a con-trick, sold to staff by Trust managers with the promise that wages and conditions will be protected. However, this is only for a limited time period - the promise expires when the financial condition of the company demands it. New recruits to the company could potentially be employed on lower pay and with worse conditions than existing NHS staff. This leads to a two-tier workforce and causes division. The company has a vested interest in replacing the established NHS staff with the cheaper option – a recipe for bullying and intimidation. What effect do wholly owned subsidiary companies have on the health service? When public services are privatised they are no longer accountable to the electorate. We lose our rights over the service and have to accept what we are given. Instead of being treated as a citizen with the right to health care we become customers. The use of wholly owned subsidiary companies destroys the ethos of the NHS by focussing on financial considerations at the expense of our health needs. Staff will certainly become demoralised by the never ending demand to work harder for less, and this is bound to affect the quality of health care negatively. For these reasons we demand that the Chief Executive of Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust rule out any use of a wholly owned subsidiary company, or any similar corporate venture. The NHS belongs to all of us, and it serves all of us. We value it as the best system of health care in the world and we are determined it should remain so.

This is an important asset to people in the local area and especially in the area north of the River Tees. Patients in the north of Hartlepool for example would be faced with a journey of at least 35 minutes. This is unacceptable in an emergency situation. People could be losing precious, life saving minutes if forced to travel further to recieve treatment.

My 5 year old son Murray has Doose Syndrome / Myoclonic Astatic Epilepsy (MAE). This is a rare form of epilepsy and means he lives with up to 600 seizures a DAY (4 different seizure types). He has spent months lying in a hospital bed shaking, now uses a wheelchair and has only been able to attend school for 3 weeks this year! It is very hard to control with the medicine currently available and it has been proven in other countries that medical cannabis helps people with illnesses like his. In the USA medical cannabis has helped stop the daily aggressive seizures that children with this syndrome have. The government needs to make Medicinal Cannabis legally available so that the NHS can administer it safely and change the lives of thousands of people with illnesses that could be helped by it. Thanks to the thousands of people who signed this campaign so far, Murray has now been granted a special licence to be prescribed CBD, he's the first person in Scotland to get one. But this campaign is about more than just one patient, it's about doctors being able to give all patients the medicine that could help them.

In summer of 2017 the new build of St Nicholas Community Primary School ground to a halt as the contractor went into liquidation (https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/education/schools-new-5m-building-wont-411409 ) preventing the school opening on schedule in the summer. The new site opened after a two week half term in October, this delay cost parents and teachers a considerable amount in childcare. Further delays followed as utilities on site were not up to standard. Staff endeavoured to minimise disruption to the children’s education at the cost of their own time and effort. Some of this disruption has been going on since the start of the new build over two years ago. Today the school is still a building site with areas cordoned off, and re-cordoned off when the weather blew those down. Throughout the winter children have had to access a poorly lit school for after school events and clubs. There is no street-lighting on the path leading into the school beside St Nicholas Church. It is not safe and very frightening for pupils. The path has not been widened and does not provide enough space for the footfall accessing the school with prams, bikes, scooters or more than one child. There is no easy or safe access for parents to drop off or collect their children without causing obstructions, trespass or danger to life. Choke points make it dangerous for children using their bikes, scooters and walking into school. Poor traffic control on the corner of Holme Church Lane, Bulcher Lane, and Beaver Road is also putting lives at risk. The extended closure of footpath No12 leading from Holme Church Lane to Grovehill Road continues to cause elderly residents problems, disorienting them or making it impossible for them to navigate. All these matters were raised at the planning consultations. None of them have been resolved. This is not a 21st Century school as one ward councillor hoped for. The school field was lost when the new build began, two years later children still do not have access to a large, suitable by law, play area. Currently 300 children are limited to exercise on a small tennis court. Once again contractors are delayed due to poor drainage and contractors are now damaging original work while repairing other problems. Many minor injuries have been caused on the footpath. Children are scared of attending school clubs, deciding against after school activities because of the dark. Car drivers are not able to see/react to those crossing the roads in the area resulting in a number of close calls. Children have to wear mud soaked clothes when they fall from their bikes or slip in the mud as there simply aren't enough spare uniforms to go around. Play and exercise time is limited because of lack of space. We believe our children should be able to access and use the school safely. This is not the case. The health and well-being of the pupils have been put second for too long.

The Bluewave hydrotherapy Complex is a specialist facility that serves the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our community - namely the disabled and elderly. There is no facility in Kent that offers the equipment and service that this complex can offer, such as the hydrotherapy pool, specialist weight training and cardiovascular equipment and pain management classes. This space is a social hub that provides some of the more vulnerable members of the community with a place to converse, improve their health and interact with others. The complex receives exercise referrals from the NHS and is also used by a number of special needs and state schools. The loss of this facility would be devastating for the local community! Please can you sign the petition so Bluewave can remain open and continue providing this crucial support to our community.

1. Health (how wants sewerage in water) 2. Marine environment (The sea Life will be affected) 3. Economy (Gairloch is fishing port and highly dependent on tourist trade)

The Citizens Advice Bureau provides vital benefits advice and support to ill, disabled and vulnerable people in and around Boston and Skegness. Lincolnshire County Council have decided to cut funding for this valuable service. There is no other organisation that provides the same service. Please sign and share.

Over 300 people currently attend one of the day centres facing closure. Most of the users are frail and many suffer from dementia. Being able to meet up with friends means people are less isolated and are able to stay living in the community for much longer. If these services go people may not be able to live independently for as long as they would like to and may be forced into more costly residential care. These centres provide a vital service to the local community and the council should keep them open and fight against government cuts to the council’s budget.

The speed of motorists driving through many roads in Glenavy is disturbing and coupled with no footpaths to the school this is most certainly a disaster waiting to happen. Glenavy Residents Association have tried to address this with Department for Infrastructure through a survey of the area. Although the results of this survey proves that 85% of vehicles speed is above the speed limit it also states that due to the limited finances the department has, it can’t provide traffic calming measures in Glenavy for the foreseeable future. Glenavy Residents Association does not and cannot accept this decision. Therefore we are requesting residents, their family and friends to sign this petition and lets call on Peter May (Permanent Secretary of Department for Infrastructure) to secure funds for these life changing measures i.e. speed calming measures of the roads investigated and also footpaths on the Glen road to Ballymacrickett school. Normally we would be requesting this from the minister of DFI but seen as there is no government in place we are calling on the Permanent Secretary for his intervention.

The borough of Camden has one of the highest homeless people in the country. Those living on the streets have difficulty accessing basic services. Those homeless with mental health issues are the most vulnerable and require more not less psychiatric care and follow up.

I have been shocked to discover that many well known UK restaurants and establishments have subpar hygiene ratings and that under current UK law it is not compulsory for them to disclose this. I strongly believe that premises who do not meet hygiene standards should be making their customers aware of such. This should be done by displaying their food hygiene score on the entrance door, clearly visible prior to entering. They should also be forced to cease trading until they bring these standards in line with current UK guidelines. More stringent and regular checks should be carried out which should be funded by the establishment itself (at least once a quarter).

we have an up to date hospital in llanelli and a bigger population than carmarthen. downgrading is putting lives at risk and lack of out of hours is not just a risk for future generations and the elderly but also those that dont have transport to travel or those that are agrophobic. waiting times for ambulances that carry defibrillators are ridiculous too.