The New Dark Age

19 September 2016 — 38 Degrees

Our NHS is hanging on by a thread. And now, Jeremy Hunt’s got secret plans to close NHS services that could push it over the edge. [1]

If things go Jeremy Hunt’s way, he’ll get the ball rolling on his plans next month. [2] But we’ve got a plan to push them into the spotlight. If enough of us chip in, we can make a powerful documentary to expose the real impact of his NHS cuts – and then get everyone in Britain to see our people-powered film.

Can you chip in now to finish the film and expose these secret cuts? 

The 38 Degrees office team’s already made the beginnings of a powerful documentary. It meets real people who’ve paid the price for an NHS that’s being starved of cash. If enough of us chip in, we can tell the stories of real NHS patients who are stuck on hospital waiting lists, or spending hours in A&E. Their powerful stories will be hard for politicians to ignore. [3]

If each of us chips in now we can get this film ready to go and come up with a plan to make sure it’s everywhere. It’ll help pay for cameras, crew, and professional editing to get our NHS documentary ready for the big screen. Then, we can buy cinema adverts and Facebook ads to make sure that millions of people understand that our NHS is under threat.

So, will you chip in now to finish the film?

Last month, 38 Degrees members chipped in for an investigation into the secret plans to cut spending in the NHS. Together, we found plans across England for cuts to hospitals, A&Es and GPs. [4]

Now we need to make sure people see the devastating human cost these plans could have. Together we can make sure the message is clear: our NHS simply can’t survive more cuts.

So, please will you chip in a few pounds now? It’ll only take a minute.

Thanks for being involved,

Rowan, Matthew, Rachel, Laura, Emily and the 38 Degrees team

NOTES:
[1] Across England secret plans are being drawn up for a new swathe of changes to the NHS, including A&E closures, changes to maternity care, and cuts to hospital beds. For more info on the plans, and news articles about just how serious the NHS funding crisis is, see:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2016/08/04/nhs-risk-cuts-nhs-englands-sustainability-transformation-plans-explained/
The Guardian: NHS plans closures and radical cuts to combat growing deficit in health budget:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/26/nhs-plans-radical-cuts-to-fight-growing-deficit-in-health-budget
[2] According to the NHS England website, the plans were to be submitted in June, with a view to implementation starting in Autumn 2016.
NHS England: Sustainability and transformation plans:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/futurenhs/deliver-forward-view/stp/
[3] The documentary is set in Durham – a part of North East England that’s already been dramatically affected by cuts to the public health budget. The film follows Bahadur, who’s lived in Durham since 1971. He reveals what the NHS funding crisis has meant for the patients at the heart of the health service. It meets other patients in Durham who tell their moving stories about what a cash-strapped NHS has meant for them.
[4] Here’s a blog post on the results of the 38 Degrees crowd-funded investigation into secret NHS plans:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2016/08/26/38-degrees-crowdfunded-investigation-secret-nhs-plans/
Because of our people-powered work, our investigation was on the front page of the Guardian, on interviews on Radio 4 Today, on BBC bulletins throughout the day, BBC News at 1 and 6, Jeremy Vine Live Breakfast and Drive, ITV lunchtime and evening news, Channel 5 news, Sky news, and BBC local radio.