View image | gettyimages.com To be frank, as a doctor, I have been underwhelmed by our Liberal Democrat offering on health issues over the years; certainly we are not as strong on health as we should be. The almost daily drip feed from the right wing press on NHS shortcomings and failures is demoralising to […]
Lib Dem Voice
UKIP’s official health spokesperson: “I have no experience in health whatsoever”
Louise Bours MEP, UKIP’s health spokesperson, made a startling admission to the Independent in an interview published today. She said: One thing that irritates me more than anything, and you see so much of it the higher up the political hierarchy you go, that’s it’s full of a load off… people who aren’t particularly honest, […]
Clegg’s letter to Burnham: “you may have inadvertently misled” Commons on Labour’s NHS privatisation record
Nick Clegg fielded Prime Minister’s Questions today, during which he noted that Labour’s shadow health secretary Andy Burnham is “the only man in England who has ever privatised an NHS hospital”. Mr Burham complained that Nick had misled the House of Commons over the issue of Hichingbrooke Hospital, accusing him of “sheer inaccuracy”. The Lib […]
Liz Barker leads first ever Lords debate on Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women’s health
Last Wednesday, Baroness Liz Barker, who made one of the most fantastic speeches of the entire debate on same sex marriage, led the first ever debate on health services for lesbians and bisexual and transgender women. The ignorance and even ridicule LBT women have faced from health professionals in the accounts Liz and others shared […]
Norman Lamb writes… Extra funding for the NHS is a Lib Dem priority right now
As a society we are judged by the way that we care for the vulnerable, the elderly, and those suffering from illness. Britain can be proud that in 1948 we led the world in laying the foundations for a universal health service, available to all regardless of wealth. And we continue to lead the world […]
Opinion: What Andy Burnham didn’t tell you about NHS privatisation
Andy Burnham’s recent set-piece speech on the NHS, the latest instalment of Labour’s “summer offensive”, opened with a neat bit of scene-setting. By briefly championing a group of Darlington mothers who are presently marching 300 miles in protest at the use of private providers in the NHS, he conjured a mood of protest while subtly […]
Paul Burstow MP writes… Making the pursuit of happiness as important as GDP
Over the past 12 months I have been working with mental health experts and the think-tank CentreForum, grappling with the challenge of how we can improve mental health care. Today sees the publication of our final report, The pursuit of happiness: a new ambition for our mental health. It reflects the expertise of many, makes […]
LibLink: Norman Lamb: Volunteers play a key role in the health care system
Norman Lamb has been writing for the Eastern Daily Press about the importance of volunteering. He looks at the sorts of things people can do and the difference it makes. He sees spending time with others as a very important part of keeping people healthy. Last Friday I set off from my constituency office in […]
Norman Lamb MP writes: Ending face down restraint
I am sure that many of you will remember the stories about the Winterbourne View scandal a couple of years ago. Vulnerable residents with autism and learning difficulties were subjected to shocking abuse from those who should have been protecting and caring for them. The review that was carried out into the scandal highlighted the […]
Norman Lamb writes… Working together for better mental health crisis care
When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, it essential that they feel able to access the help they need – and quickly. They will probably be in a state of extreme distress and confusion. Without help, people may be at risk of causing harm to themselves and those around them (cases of injury to […]