Tag Archives: health

Campaigning will shift the climate, to end FGM in Britain

FGM (female genital mutilation or ‘cutting’) is embarrassing for us in the mainstream of British life even to consider; but it’s excruciating and debilitating for its young victims. This is one topic where grown-up people must not permit their queasiness to over-rule … Continue reading

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FGM is a universal horror, including in Britain

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a truly dreadful topic, and we all wish there was no reason, ever, to consider it.  But there is. Whilst we in the UK see endless (and correct) concern for upholding the human rights of alleged dangerous extremists such as … Continue reading

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Regional pay: how to increase the North-South divide and weaken the ConDem coalition?

As anticipated following Chancellor George Osborne’s budget, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has now declared that ‘regional’ pay for health workers is on the agenda. Needless to say, those in the South-East will earn more under this arrangement than colleagues further North.  … Continue reading

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Disabling the already disabled: the sham(e) that is the ConDems (& a Petition)

If you haven’t experienced serious illness or longer-term disability you really do need to make the effort, right now, to imagine what that might feel like close up.  That’s what I hope to help you do, in this post. Having such … Continue reading

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Male policy wonk decrees on breastfeeding

‘Breastfeeding by UK mothers rises from 76% to 81%‘ is the headline of a report in today’s Guardian. It is, a Government spokesman tells, “encouraging to see an increase in the number of women who start breastfeeding”… Well, yes, most of … Continue reading

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Eton and equality don’t mix. Please note, Blue Labour.

So here’s today’s Guardian, in a piece with the depressingly predictable news that some 31 of the 1,008 new entrants to this year’s Who’s Who attended Eton: The coalition government is dominated by former public school pupils. Within days of … Continue reading

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FGM (female circumcision) is illegal and cruel – and culturally challengeable everywhere

Today, 6 February, is the United Nations’ International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation. We must all face up to the facts; FGM happens in communities in the UK and Western Europe as well as elsewhere. In Britain debate this week is about ‘multiculturalism’ … Continue reading

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Flu jabs: shifting targets from mortality to (short-term) money?

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has now confirmed that a majority of pregnant women have not had flu jabs:  more than 70% remain unvaccinated.   Given the low immunity and raised vulnerability of this women expecting babies this is a very serious concern. In past … Continue reading

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In fear of livelihoods; or only of luncheon? Some inequalities do justify shroud-waving

‘Some of us are in fear of our livelihoods; others only of our luncheon.’ Thus, with beguiling directness, wrote Matthew Parris in his Times article yesterday (1 January 2011:  ‘Don’t kid yourselves. There must be victims’). ‘We are not … … Continue reading

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A really worrying start to 2011… maybe they just don’t want to learn

Education in England appears to be undergoing not so much a policy review as sporadic and random assault, if recent decisions by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, are any guide to what’s happening. First we have the school sports fiasco (personally … Continue reading

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