Newsletter 160
Contents
Action of the week
Save our NHS demo, 3rd of November in London.
The NHS is under attack. Its founding principles of free health care for all are being scrapped for a business model of health care for profit. We all need the NHS, as an employer or as a patient. We know the public supports the NHS in a big way, so lets make sure the government knows this! This is our chance to stand up for what we believe in and demand the end to cut backs and privatisation. Lets not be the generation that stood there and watched while the NHS was destroyed.
This demo has been called by NHS Together (a coalition of public service unions) and Keep Our NHS Public, with diverse support including Health Emergency, local health action groups and the BMA.
Students will be meeting outside Temple station (Victoria embankment) at 10.45am. If you are up for a bit of fun, then come dressed as doctors & nurses. Look out for the Medsin (health care student campaign group) banner.
Posters, badges and presentations are available for advertising the demo, just email me and let us know if you are coming.
Lets make this huge! Pete, Campaigns Director.
National News and Events
From the National Conference:
Other stuff:
Anything Else
- Wanted: Partners in Health Volunteers on Arcade Fire European Tour.
- Climate Change and Health conference series
- Wealth, Health and Happiness
- 3rd Alma Mata Conference
Of the Month
Website and News
The website is for YOUR events being held by YOUR branches, projects and campaigns. It is really, really easy to submit events and news, so please do, and let everyone know what wonderful things you are up to!
National News and Events
From the National Conference:
AB Newsletter
The first issue of the Activities Board newsletter is now available on-line here. Hope you enjoy hearing about all the fantastic things Medsin Projects and Campaigns have been doing. Emily, VP Projects.
Climate Change
The theme of this year's National Conference was 'Population and Health', organised by Medsin Dundee. One of the plenary titles addressed the important issues of Food and Environment and highlighted the need for individuals and communities to take action to stop climate change and minimise its impact on developing countries.
Medsin members signed a giant banner reading 'Dont let our carbon footprint trample on health' with their footprints and participated in a group photo with a list of demands to government, world leaders, individuals and healthcare professionals. To read the full list of demands signed by members, please go here
Dr Robin Stott of Medact supported these claims and congratulated Medsin members on their action on this issue.
To read more about Medsin's campaigning on climate change and to see photos of this weekend's action see the Healthy Planet webpage.
Defend Access to Healthcare for Vulnerable Migrants
This weekend student's at Medsin's Annual National Conference opposed restrictions on access to primary healthcare for vulnerable migrants.
There was widespread concern among delegates about the ongoing government review of access to NHS services, due to report in December. It is expected to propose removing access to primary care services from undocumented migrants, victims of trafficking and failed asylum seekers.
Hundreds of delegates signed a statement to the Department of Health, directly opposing these changes and demanding universal access to primary healthcare, free at the point of access in line with NHS founding principles. Furthermore, this contradicts the UK's obligations to uphold health as a human right.
The government have suggested we deliberately run people's health down until they are forced from the country. Meanwhile, the GMC Duties of a Doctor state that doctors should make the care of the patient their first concern. They cannot be expected to act as immigration officers. The NHS benefits from thousands of doctors and nurses from overseas. The government have admitted health tourism occurs at very low levels and primary care is relatively cheap. Failing to manage disease in primary care will mean the NHS treats more preventable disease in A&E at much greater expense. Members asked the government to look at the evidence and reconsider.
See the Defend Primary Healthcare webpagefor more information and see the GHAP page for photos of the actions.
There's loads you can do to help take this campaign further - please get in touch with Tom and join the mailing list on this issue.
UEAM Talks
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines has a two-fold mission:
- To determine how universities can help ensure that biomedical end products, such as drugs, are made more accessible in poor countries and
- To increase the amount of research conducted on neglected diseases, or those diseases predominantly affecting people who are too poor to constitute a market attractive to private-sector R&D investment.
We are delighted to announce that on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th November Ethan Guillen, Executive Director of UAEM, will be visiting the UK to talk about the work and success of UAEM in America, and how to start a UAEM chapter at your university.
Monday 19th November -
Where: University of Edinburgh, LT1 Appleton Tower, Main Campus.
When: 7pm.
Tuesday 20th November - Where: London (venue tbc). When: tbc.
For more information please visit us here or contact Vanessa.
Control BAE Speaker Tour
- Thurs 1st Nov - Norwich
- Mon 5th Nov - Birmingham
- Wed 7th Nov - Cardiff
- Thurs 8th Nov - Chichester
- Tues 13th Nov - Hull
- Wed 14th Nov - Sheffield
- Thurs 15th Nov - Manchester
- Wed 28th Nov - Edinburgh
- Thurs 29th Nov - Newcastle
The talks are organized by the Campaign against the Arms Trade" as part of their "Control BAE" campaign. This campaign is looking to expose some of the business dealings of this arms company and keep up the pressure on the Government to reopen the Serious Fraud Office enquiry into the massive Al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
The talks will look at the impact of the arms trade and corruption on development and human rights.
Details of times and venues can be found here
If you are interested in getting involved in Medsin's Arms Trade campaign please let us know. Our address in armstrade@medsin.org
Nick and Jen Arms Trade Co-Ordinators
SEXBALL - 24th November, Birmingham
Sexpression will be hosting an afternoon of great speakers on sexual and maternal health globally at Birmingham Medical School. We have speakers lined up to talk on everything from Female Genital Mutilation to HIV/AIDS.
This interesting afternoon will be followed by a evening of Sexpression fun! The evening starts with a champagne reception followed by 3 course dinner and disco. Dress code is black tie with a splash of red with World AIDS Day collections throughout the night.
Tickets are £35 for all of this. For more information or to buy your tickets contact Emily.
STAR conference
The 10th national conference hosted by Student Action for Refugees (STAR) is taking place 10th-11th November 2007 at the Human Rights Action Centre in Shoreditch, Central London.
The only conference for students and young people on refugee issues, this year's line up features an impressive array of contributors from notable organisations such as the Refugee Council, UNHCR, Amnesty and the Medical Foundation. In addition, there will be speakers ranging from MPs and journalists to writers and refugees with personal experiences to share, as well as workshops, a Question Time panel and a lively party with live music and DJs to celebrate the fact that this is our tenth conference.
STAR Conference is open to anyone aged 16-25. It costs just £25, which includes the full weekend Conference programme, all food, crashpad accommodation on Saturday night and free admission to the legendary STAR party. We have a limited number of bursaries for those who can't afford the Conference fee, and anyone with a refugee experience is welcome for free.
To take part in Conference or for more information, visit our website, email us or call 020 7840 4443.
Pharmageddon
Health Action International are running a project called Pharmaggedon at the moment. There's 8x £1000 (maybe about to rise to £5000 for 1st!) prizes available for submitting an abstract of 350 words on the concept of Pharmageddon:
"Pharmageddon? Is a hypothesis. Pharmageddon? describes "the prospect of a world in which medicines and medicine produce more ill-health than health, and when medical progress does more harm than good".
Click here for more information.
Anything Else?
The following aren't affilliated in any way with Medsin, but we thought you might be interested.
Urgent request for Partners in Health Volunteers on Arcade Fire European Tour.
Arcade Fire are supporting the work of Partners in Health (PIH) throughout their European tour. They are looking for volunteers to help raise awareness of Partners in Health at all their European Gigs. You get Free entry to the gig of you volunteer. Please email chamann@pih.org With "Arcade Fire and (city name)" if you could help out at any of the following shows.
Volunteering entails: showing up before doors open, collecting donations for PIH, passing out Arcade Fire/PIH posters, and spreading awareness about the work of Partners In Health and our connection with Arcade Fire. Each volunteer gets FREE entry to the show.
Tour Cities and Dates: November:
- 17th London, England - Alexandra Palace
- 18th London, England - Alexandra Palace
- 19th London, England - Alexandra Palace
Conference Series: Climate Change and Health at the Royal Society of Medicine, London
There is now overwhelming evidence that global warming is rapidly progressing, and major climate changes are already being experienced in many parts of the world. This series of evening meetings at the Royal Society of Medicine aims to examine and forecast the effects on human health, with the intention of increasing awareness of the serious threat to our planet.
The series includes the following meetings:
- Monday 12 November 2007 - Global warming and food production: will we starve?
- Monday 26 November 2007 - Action for the health consequences of climate change
All meetings are from 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm Special block booking rates are available for attending all 4 meetings
For more information and to register online please visit http://www.rsm.ac.uk/diar/diary.php or contact Sinem Gocmen Tel: 020 7290 3856 fax: 020 7290 2989 mail:sinem.gocmen@rsm.ac.uk.
Wealth, Health and Happiness
A Public Event, Everyone Welcome, Admission £5 (on the day) at Friends House, 173 Euston Road NW1 2BJ
On Saturday, 10th November 2007 (2-5pm including refreshments) with Richard Laylard, author, Happiness - Lessons from a new Science and Richard Wilkinson, author, The Impact of Inequality)
3rd Alma Mata Conference
Global Health Directions 3: Commercialisation and Health
Alma Mata Global Health Conference and International Health Careers Fair
Saturday 24th & 25th November 2007 UCL Institute of Child Health, London
Tickets are now available online for the third Alma Mata conference and International Health Careers Fair!
Interested in a career in global health? Join us for a weekend of world class speakers and workshops discussing major global health issues, followed by our first International Health Careers Fair. Please visit the conference website or see the medsin site for more details.
Of the Month
Project focus: Marrow: A Trans-national Project
At the 57th IFMSA General Assembly held this summer in Canterbury, UK, Marrow was awarded trans-national project status. This was the culmination of several years of hard work by different national Marrow co-ordinators and members of the Medsin national committee. Acquiring trans-national status means that Marrow, a project that has existed in the UK for the past 10 years, is now internationally recognised by IFMSA affiliated national member organisations. This will undoubtedly be beneficial in helping to establish Marrow in other countries around the world.
Marrow was created in 1998 by medical students from Nottingham University. It has since grown to become one of Medsin’s biggest projects, with branches in every UK medical school and some overseas institutions. In 2006 it won the IFMSA’s Rex Crossley Award for best international project. An application for trans-national status was first proposed in 2005 by the then national committee. The application included detailed explanations of what Marrow aims to achieve and the means by which will go about this, the setting and discussion of a ten year plan, including long and short term objectives and support for overseas groups.
Following several re-submissions over the past two years, each time after improving on previous criticisms from the project proposals review committee, trans-national status was finally granted this year.
Mark Prince National Co-ordinator
See the Marrow page for more info.
Last updated on Tuesday 04 December 2007 at 00:50.
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