Tag Archives: royal college of nursing

Rachel Gladwin

The Independent View: Coerced, bullied and fighting back: living with Multiple Sclerosis and Welfare Reform

By Rachel Gladwin | Mon 12th September 2011 - 3:53 pm

I am a 54 year old woman who has had Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis for around 6 years. It involves increasing pain and loss of mobility and, as there is no remission, only progression, it takes me all of my energies to manage.

After the legion of neurological symptoms forced me to give up work I have had to endure the trauma of an Employment and Support Allowance “medical assessment” by ATOS Healthcare (a French private contractor), I have struggled to attend the mandatory Work Related Activity Group, which was not a safe place in my worsening condition.

I waited months for an appeal and won, but live in fear of the brown Department of Work & Pensions envelope that indicates that the whole sorry process will start again, as appears to be the case for many who win their appeals.

If the Welfare Reform Bill is agreed this week, I face the same stress and anxiety in yet another assessment, to test for an already proven condition, in order to retain high rate mobility Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in its new guise as Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

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Posted in The Independent View | Also tagged , , , , , , and | 35 Comments
Paul Walter

PMQs: Pots, kettles, medians and Erskine May

By Paul Walter | Wed 8th June 2011 - 1:20 pm

Pity poor old Ken Clarke. When your own side are saying you are too old for the job, then you know things are bad. Phillip Hollobone (Con) asked at Prime Ministers’ Questions why magistrates have to retire at 70 years old while the man who appoints them, the Justice Secretary – Clarke, is 71 years old. With friends like that….

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Posted in PMQs | Also tagged , , , , , , , and | 9 Comments
Mark Pack

Nick Clegg’s speech to the Royal College of Nursing

By Mark Pack | Tue 27th April 2010 - 8:50 pm

Earlier in the week it was Gordon Brown addressing the nurses but today it was Nick Clegg’s turn. As journalist Paul Waugh put it:

Ooh, Matron. Clegg going down a storm with at nurses’ RCN conference. Better ovation, more laughs at his gags than Brown.

Here’s the speech which got this reaction:

Thank you so much for inviting me to speak to you today. It is a real honour to be here.

You don’t need me to tell you that the job you do is one of the most important jobs there is.

You are the lifesavers as well as the shoulders to cry …

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Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 1 Comment
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