Iwent to a meeting at the Whittington on Thursday night – held to begin the discussion about future health services with key stakeholders. 

We were all sat at tables and the facilitator got each table to do the usual note taker plus rapporteur on the conversation had at the table. The question posed – was pretty broad – in that it asked what was important to us in taking forward the Whittington.

The threat to the A &E and maternity has gone for now. However, we need to not only be vigilant as the future shape of services at the Whittington, in the community and in primary care, come forward – but remain engaged and watchful about what decisions are taken about health services locally. Hence – it will be very important that local people (whose passion and power combined with a timely general election) saved the Whittington – to take part in these meetings – of which this was just the first.

What was heartening was the thoughtfulness and considered ideas that came forward from each table during the feedback session. The most obvious was that everyone wanted local emergency and health services near to where they lived and easily accessible. But there were a host of suggestions about integrated care, the transition from hospital to home, the need to keep core services to ensure that A&E and maternity were supported, the possibility of looking at what (if any) savings could be made between the three hospitals (UCH, Royal Free and Whittington) working out between them who did what on special services maybe – and really a lot more – including GPs being more involved with the hospital, concerns that private contracts would increase and a recognition that the population that depends on the Whittington has low car ownership, often has English as a second language, needs public transport to access services and so on.

Despite the fact that there will be a real terms increase in the NHS budget (of 1%) the increase in population around hte Whittington and increasing demand for services will rise 6% – so savings will have to be found.

It is crucial that we fight for the services we want.

Came back from conference Wednesday night – and went straight off at 6.30 next morning to the Women’s Business Forum being held in Leeds. Heather Jackson, in nine months, had brought together the key women in the region for this forum – an amazing feat.

From a government point of view (I was there to speak on what we are doing about Women on Boards) it was very very interesting. I heard a few speakers before me – one of whom was talking about the woman as purchaser. Any business listening to that speech has to know that to not have women on their board bringing that dimension to the boardroom is hitting their bottom line. And that’s the point – it’s not women for women’s sake – but it is about good business. An executive director from M&S, an academic from Cranfield who had done some amazing research on women in the FTSE and many more – all told from different vantage points – the same story. There were lots of men in attendance – and talking to the Head of Diversity at Barclays Wealth – I was much encouraged about a real feel of a change in attitude. It’s the bottom line!

Friday was firstly a visit to Duke’s Avenue GP practise – who have stepped forward to help me with my quest (pushed by the  brilliant Phoenix Group for the blind and partially sighted) to change their patient IT record to flag up what format their blind and partially sighted patients want to receive information in. This dove-tails with my work with the Whittington Hospital who at their end are keen to take referrals from GPs with this information so they too can flag up on their IT system which format would be suitable. Very heartening!

Followed directly by popping into a coffee morning in Muswell Hill where a local mum had organised the annual McMillan Nurses coffee morning – to raise funds for this fantastic charity and the amazing work they do. There are few of us who are not touched by cancer at some point in our lives. McMillan nurses came to my sister’s house for the last two days of my mother’s life – and they literally were angels.

Surgery all afternoon as usual.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Highgate Counselling Service – a fantastic group who for 50 years have provided counselling for anyone in the community who needs it. Now situated in Tetherdown Halls – there is no charge – so anyone can go regardless of ability to pay. If people can afford it – then a donation is of course very welcome. Most people stumble at some point in their lives and having someone to talk to and to hold us safe at our periods of greatest vulnerability is invaluable.

And on Sunday went to say a few words at the start of the Whittington Hospital 5K charity run. This year it is to raise funds for elderly care at the hospital. There was a huge turn out – and it was a real pleasure to see (as always) how much people love the Whittington. As I have managed to fracture my foot (again) I wasn’t running – but about 450 others were!

Here is my column – published in the Ham & High on Thursday:

It seems only a moment since the election of May 6 ushered in the new government – the Coalition. This ‘new’ political title which was strange only a few weeks ago has now passed into the lexicon of daily political life. The Coalition this and the Coalition that.

The ‘Five Days that Changed Britain’ documentary by Nick Robinson (BBC political supremo) told the story of the negotiations – who said what to whom and when. But once that electrifying and uncertain period was concluded – and the Coalition was born – in one mad dash to the summer recess a new entity has been in play.

Listening to ‘phone ins on the subject – it would seem that the vast majority of people are giving the coalition a chance. It’s the same for me. That journey – from realising that the country had not given any party an absolute majority to recognising that a coalition was the only real way forward – to the agreement with the Conservatives – was undoubtedly a political roller coaster to beat anything I had ever been part of in my time in politics.

And a new entity it is – and giving new headaches to the old, traditional ways of opposing and reporting too. Neither the media nor Labour knows what to do with this new phenomenon. The media is obsessed with tensions and splits – but it is a no brainer that there are differences between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. And Labour’s scream of anger and entitlement is unimaginative and predictable. Given Labour spent their thirteen years of government blaming the Tories for everything wrong in this country – they seem strangely unwilling to acknowledge any contribution to the state we are in.

But old politics always looked backwards and I want to look forwards. One of the most liberating and energising parts of this new Coalition is that the future is far more open than ever before. The possibilities – as we come out of the recession – for growth nationally, as communities and as individuals is tremendous. The old and very tired, restrictive and stultifying era of Labour’s iron grip on everything is over.

There were some very good things that happened under Labour – Sure Start being one and the reduction in waiting lists for hospital treatment another. But there were also very bad things that Labour did – the Iraq war and detention without charge to name but two and closer to home – seriously underfunding Haringey schools and trying to close the Whittington A&E.

But more insidious than the obvious – the encroachment of control from Whitehall was disabling us. The former government issued thousands upon thousands of pages of bureaucratic instructions to teachers for example – inhibiting teachers from doing what they do best – teaching. Endless tick boxes for social workers to the point where filling in forms took the place of use of their critical faculties and their professional capability. We were going around in ever-decreasing circles with less and less freedom and more and more conformity. The loss of local and individual power was tangible. I saw it every week in my advice surgeries.

It’s very, very difficult to get that balance right – the balance between state intervention and freedom – between helping and enfeebling.

As the Coalition agreement forges ahead – yes of course – I have concerns that babies must not be thrown out with bathwater. I am still a Liberal Democrat and we are working with the Conservatives to an agreement. We are not joined at the hip! The pending spending review looms over us. The Big Society is undoubtedly a better idea than the nanny state – but the line between public service provision and what can be added by the Big Society is a critical one. The Coalition, in our haste to free ourselves from inappropriate shackles, must be mindful of this.

What sustains me and us – is the good that we can do. We will get the ‘pupil premium’ – money going into our schools following children from underprivileged backgrounds (e.g. those with special needs or eligible for free school meals) – that will help every school in Haringey. The tax threshold is raised and will go higher every year until no one pays any tax on their first £10,000 on earnings – taking the low paid out of tax altogether. The earnings link to pensions will come into force. The prison system will be renovated to be effective – not vindictive. Id cards are all but gone. The counter terrorism review will address control orders and detention without charge.

One of the best things about the coalition is the fact of politicians from different parties working together. People certainly seem to like that. I like it too.

Went to speak at the rally outside the Whittington Hospital. Hurrah! It’s saved – for now. But we must remain vigilant. Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for health came down too to speak.

There never was a case for closure. No proper analysis. No community facilities available to take the 35,000 people who could be treated outside of an A&E. No room at the Royal Free for the 45,000 who would still need A&E. No rigorous analysis of cost benefits. No rigorous analysis of travel. It was the worst presented case for change – ever!

And it happened because unelected, undemocratic quangos executing Labour Government instructions think we are just nothing. They make paper solutions that just don’t fit real peoples’ lives. Same as when Labour closed our local sub-post offices. They don’t seem to understand that public services should be based on our needs, our wants -not their charts and graphs.

Let’s hope Liberal Democrats are the ones who will take our health services forward – that way we would know that never again would we have to be dictated to and have the very fabric of our lives threatened by faceless bureaucrats.

Thank you to all the people – who are the stars of this success. Let power flow back to local people and let’s listen to the  doctors and nurses who know so much about what makes our health service work!

It was the Ham & High, Hornsey & Wood Green hustings last night.

Streets must have been empty of Labour activists – as they were all in the hall! I recognised most of them. Planted questions and prepared answers – very Gordon Brown.

Labour activists in the hall didn’t seem that interested in the Whittington A&E, nor fair funding for our schools or fairness in the tax system – they appeared interested in one thing – whether LibDems would prop up a Cameron Government. Nick Clegg has made it quite clear that our four key pledges on fair taxes, fair funding for our schools, green jobs and clean, reformed politics are what matters and that we have to wait to see what the people say on May 6. It is not for politicians to decide – but the country. He also said he would work with anyone – even the man in the moon – to delivery our fairness agenda.

By the third time of asking another chap jumped up – same question. Same answer – obviously!  This was Steve Hart, Chair of the Hornsey & Wood Green Labour party – not that he mentioned that!

Still as I say – great to see such a large number of Labour activists tied up in the hall and not out campaigning.

Judging by the line Labour were taking in the Ham & High this morning – Labour are clinging to a desperate hope that they can scare people into voting Labour.

Vote LibDem – get LibDem – I say!