Hi
I don’t know if you seen STV tonight at 6pm but I was on it discussing the fact that we get thrown off the NHS if we wish to buy drugs that could extend or increase our quality of life. I know that in a perfect world the NHS should provide us with everything we need - but that’s a whole other debate.
There is a review in England and Wales of the right to co-pay and for a two-tier system to be introduced whereby if the NHS has not passed a drug the patient can pay for it seperately without being thrown off the NHS. This looks like it will go through.
Can I urge anyone from north of the border to contact their MSP’s and bring this matter to their attention in the hope that the Scottish Parliament can also chose to review it. As it stands they have no plans to review it but with a bit of a push and a shove from us, leading to MSP’s putting pressure on the Health Minister, hopefully we can achieve the same as England and Wales.
I’m not asking you all to go public or get heavily involved in campaigning but a quick phone call the your MSP to request that they bring this matter up in a letter or in the Parliament itself would go a long way to a good outcome.
Obviously I understand if you have a difference of opinion from myself as it would be a dull old world if we all held the same views.
Please let me know if you are willing to participate in this matter. Remember, together we can make a difference.
Diane
xx
Hi Diane
I would be willing to do that - just need to find out who my local msp is???
Well done you
Fiona
xxx
Hi Diane
They also had a man on the BBC 6 o’clock news saying exactly the same as you. He lives in Wales but has his treatment in England (not sure whereabouts he lives but obviously on the borders I presume).
Good luck in your campaign.
Hi Diane
I have recently joined something called the Scottish Breast Cancer Campaign and they lobby the Scottish Parliament on stuff like this. Margo MacDonald is one of their supporters.
It costs £10 to join via their website. I know we are not supposed to give out links, but it’s just their full name with .org at the end. I saw their details in reception at Queen Margaret in Dunfermline.
Hi Diane
I have had great support from the group that Cherub has suggested. They helped me achieve a change in the Scottish Referral Guidelines. It would do no harm to contact them - they are a great bunch. Also, you may be interested in putting a Petition on the Scottish Parliament’s e-Petitions website. It is quite different from the No. 10 e-Petitions. All petitions get addressed by a committee formed by the Scottish Parliament. I went to Scottish Parliament last week to see what actually happened once the Petition went to the committee. It was very interesting. Not sure how much action will be taken. I’m sure it would do no harm to raise it on the Scottish Parliament’s e-Petition website. Thereafter you could post the Petition details on this site and we could all sign it. Just food for thought!
Love
Jeannie
Hi Diane,
I saw you on the news tonight didnt realise we are from the same town. I too ahve secondary cancer and would be more than happy to contact MSP or sign a petitiion. I recently went to a cancer consultation excercise where we could bring up things for the government to look into.
Love Kate xx
Hi Diane,
I saw you too. (By the way, you looked lovely) Will contact my MSP and encourage all friends and family to do so also and will sign anything.
Good luck and best wishes
Susan x.
that eill be great, Thanks
Just had a phone call from my MSP, in response to my email. He is going to consult his party’s health spokesperson and get back to me. Even discussion and debate has got to help!
Thanks for that Alloway, the more pressure we put on them the better. My MSP says it takes about 6 weeks to even get a question asked in the parliament!
Diane