The UK People’s Health Movement, in collaboration with Medact and with Peter Hall of Doctors for Human Rights are putting together a report of human rights and health in the UK.

This report will be used and submitted to the UN committee on Social Economic and Cultural Rights to provide an alternative perspective to the government’s own report for that committee.

The purpose of the report will be to highlight areas of health policy and practice in the UK which fail to meet human rights standards.

We have received contributions for the report in the following areas ; Asylum seekers; HIV/AIDS; maternity care; mental health; Iraq and Foreign Policy; Child Health; Human Rights Education.

We are still seeking contributions in the following areas Detention; NHS reform; Elderly Care; Prison Health.

We would like to ask members of the Politics of Health Group if you might be willing to offer a submission on the topic of NHS reforms, or any of the other issues outstanding.

We are looking for brief but well referenced contributions. Below is a framework of questions which may be of assistance in developing a response.

Questions on Right to Health
 
Please provide accurate references for answers
Please include a brief summary of your organisation and contact details
 
1- What are the main policies and programmes that guide the area of health you are concerned with? Have there been any changes in the last 5 years and what is the impact of those changes? Has there been sufficient consultation with affected groups in making these changes?
 
2- What is the reality of the situation as opposed to the policy?
 
3- What does the government do to guarantee access to health care and services for everyone? What have been the trends in this respect?
 
4- Is the government doing enough in term of preventative strategies for health and health education for everyone, in relation to your area of interest? Are health promotion policies accessible to everyone? Who participates in forming these strategies? Do marginalised and vulnerable groups have access to this information?
 
5- Has privatisation or a decrease in resources affected your area of interest at all?
 
6- Is there a gender gap? What is the government doing to close this gap? Is it sufficient?
 
7- Is there an ethnicity/social gap? What is the government doing to address this gap? Is it sufficient?
 
8- Are children, elderly or disabled covered by your area of interest and what measures is the government doing to address the right to health of children, the elderly and disabled? Is it sufficient?
 
9- Is there any kind of discrimination in your area of interest? Are there any policies that counter discrimination and are they sufficient? Are there any policies that inadvertently discriminate?
 
10- Is there a national health strategy and plan of action in your particular area? Does it adequately address the problem? Does it have a sufficient budget? Does it take into consideration marginalised and vulnerable groups?
 
11- Are the services accessible and of good quality to everyone, especially poor and marginalised groups?
 
12- Is there sufficient staff for your area of interest? Are they adequately trained?
 
13- Have you been contacted by Government regarding input from you organisation into the Government’s fifth report to the Committee?

If you would like to contribute, please contact Margaret Reeves or Charly Williams directly ;

Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Telephone for Margaret Reeves - 01993 830745 / 07906 706773