Medact

Health & Climate Justice at COP26 ─ health community letter to the UK Government and COP26 leadership
2020-11-30
With just under a year to go until the COP26 climate talks start in Glasgow, the UK Government is far off track to meeting its legally binding emissions targets. To make matters worse, it was recently revealed that fossil fuel companies, including BP, Shell and Equinor have been meeting with the government to discuss plans for the talks next year.

On Monday 30th November, together with Students for Global Health, we launched our open letter from the health community calling on the UK Government and COP26 leadership to take bold, decisive action to both ensure a green recovery from Covid-19 and the success of the climate talks in Glasgow next year:

The letter makes 3 key demands:

The UK must commit to a rapid and historically accurate reduction of emissions;

All new fossil fuel extractive projects must be permanently cancelled;

COP26 must be fossil-free, with fossil fuel companies and lobbyists barred from decision makers.

RSVP below for the letter’s launch day to receive our action guide complete with template social media posts and emails to help get the word out to a bigger audience!

[Registration has now closed]

Spread The Word: Nuclear Weapons Are Banned!
2021-01-22 12:00 (Europe/London)
This Friday 22nd January, the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is entering into international law!
?️ This is a big step toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
⚖️ The Treaty means that all nuclear weapons activity will be illegal under international law.
✊? It provides a strong mechanism for campaigners to push nuclear states to begin the process of getting rid of their nuclear weapons.
Help us spread the word about this historic event by joining our online social media action at 12 midday.

Use our template Twitter/ Facebook/ Instagram post ─ with a shareable graphic which you will need to download to include in your post.

You can personalise your post but please:

make sure to use the hashtags #NuclearBan and #UK4TPNW
make sure to include the graphic provided
do not post it before midday on 22nd January!

If you have any questions, please contact reemabuhayyeh@medact.org

Online Storytelling Action for Green Jobs
2021-03-23 | Zoom
On Tuesday 23rd March, we’re teaming up with Green New Deal UK to run an online storytelling action, calling on MPs to support the creation of secure, well-paid green jobs as part of a post-COVID recovery.

Why ‘green jobs for all’?

As many as 1.9m jobs are at risk of being lost permanently as a result of the impacts of the pandemic. It is vital that the Government now intervenes to invest in job creation, but if our recovery only increases emissions, we will only pivot from one crisis to another: Climate Change.

Creating new, secure, well-paid green jobs has to be a priority if we are to build a healthy and sustainable recovery post-COVID. Research by Green New Deal UK shows that, with the right investment, the Government could create as many as 1.2m green jobs over the next two years alone.

Green jobs aren’t just what we might traditionally expect: people in hard-hats building wind turbines. They’re also jobs in vital, low-carbon, sectors such as education and healthcare. By focusing on such key industries, a green recovery can help us tackle staff-shortages in the NHS at the same time as fighting the climate crisis!

How do I take part in the storytelling action?

All you need to join the action is a phone to record a video on, and yourself! The aim of the action is to amplify support in the health community for the creation of a national green jobs scheme, highlighting the benefits to public health of ensuring employment that is both secure and sustainable.

You can take part at any time during the day of the 23rd March ─ whenever you have 5-10 spare minutes in your day.

Sign up now to receive a copy of our digital action guide that lays out in more detail the steps to follow to participate in the action!

[Registration has now closed]

Kill The Bill National Day of Action
2021-05-01 | Across the UK, United Kingdom
Join us this Saturday as we stand with people across the country taking action to #KillTheBill.
The Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill is a dangerous and harmful piece of legislation that threatens out right to protest, directly attacks Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communites, and targets Black people for increased police violence and discrimination.
This Mayday will see demonstrations across the UK, with 30 currently announced. We’re inviting you to join us, on the streets, online, or in anyway you feel comfortable to do so. United we will Kill the Bill!
On Monday, over 130 people joined our urgent briefing exploring why we all have a duty to take action and Kill The Bill. Watch it back if you want to hear more about why we’re taking action this weekend.

Health Lobby of MPs for Green Jobs
2021-05-03 00:00 - 2021-05-31 23:59 | Constituencies up and down the UK!
Why green jobs?

As many as 1.9m jobs are at risk of being lost permanently as a result of the impacts of the pandemic. It is vital that the Government now intervenes to invest in job creation, but if our recovery only increases emissions, we will only pivot from one crisis to another: Climate Change.

Creating new, secure, well-paid green jobs has to be a priority if we are to build a healthy and sustainable recovery post-COVID. Research by Green New Deal UK shows that, with the right investment, the Government could create as many as 1.2m green jobs over the next two years alone.

Green jobs aren’t just what we might traditionally expect: people in hard-hats building wind turbines. They’re also jobs in vital, low-carbon, sectors such as education and healthcare. By focusing on such key industries, a green recovery can help us tackle staff-shortages in the NHS at the same time as fighting the climate crisis!

How do I join the lobby?

Sign up via the form. After registering you will receive a link to our digital action guide that sets out the steps on how to set up a meeting with your MP and then prepare for it. We will then be in touch to make sure you linked up with other health workers/students in your area interested in joining the lobby.

I’m feeling a bit unprepared to lobby my MP….

There will be some resources to help you in the action guide, including a template letter to use to send to your MP and a DIY workshop plan on lobbying MPs that you can look at together with your group. We will also be running MP lobbying training sessions together with Hope For Future on 12th April and 22nd April – you can sign up for these via the registration form.

[Registration has now closed]

Health bloc at National Demonstration for Palestine
2021-05-22 13:00 - 16:00 | Central London, London, United Kingdom
Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a huge escalation in Israeli state violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, within Israel, and particularly in Gaza.
Join us in solidarity with Palestinians to protest against this violence and the continued oppression. We will be forming a ‘health bloc’ at the National Demonstration for Palestine which has been called by a number of groups including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
We will send out details of our exact meeting location and time on Friday to people who register to attend.
If you do decide to join us, please wear a mask and practice social distancing as much as possible

Health Action for the Green New Deal Bill
2021-09-01 00:00 - 2021-10-31 23:59 | Across the UK, United Kingdom
What’s happening?
This Autumn, the Decarbonisation and Economic Strategy Bill (otherwise known as the Green New Deal Bill) returns to Parliament. The Bill aims to end licensing for new fossil fuel projects, promote the rapid decarbonisation of our economy, support healthy food systems, safeguard natural habitats, restore biodiversity and tackle inequality, all the while investing in millions of good quality green jobs!
The Bill presents a unique opportunity for the promotion of both public and planetary health ─ one in which the health community has a crucial role to play. The changes we’re calling for are not small. To win, we need to build public support to put pressure on MPs to do the right thing.
What will the action involve?
This action will involve setting up a local ‘Climate Clinic’ to engage the public on the health impacts of the climate crisis and encourage them to take action by signing a postcard to their MP asking that they support the Green New Deal Bill.
We’re encouraging groups to run their Climate Clinics on either Saturday 25th September or Saturday 2nd October – but if this isn’t possible for you/your group, please do still sign up, it’ll be okay to run it on another day that suits you.
We’ve produced an action guide that explains the step-by-step process of how to set up your own Climate Clinic. Additionally, we will be running training calls on 13th and 27th September going over the process of setting up a Climate Clinic and how to have persuasive conversations with members of the public.
Sign up now to join the action!
This signup has now closed!

Stop the Arms Fair! Stop DSEI 2021
2021-09-06 - 2021-09-16
Every two years, one of the world’s biggest arms fairs is held in London’s Docklands.
DSEI sees weapons and technology manufacturers from across the world come to the ExCeL Centre in London to exhibit their products to representatives of governments and regimes across the world.
Campaign Against the Arms Trade will be organising protest events to #StopDSEI from 6th to 16th September 2021 — please see their website for details:
Read more about the arms fair
See the full list of #StopDSEI events

Medact Sheffield Banner Making
2021-09-14 18:00 - 20:00 | U-mix Centre, 17 Asline Road, Lowfield, Sheffield, S2 4UJ, United Kingdom
On Tuesday 14th September 6-8pm we will be hosting a banner making session to make banners for the ? Justice for Simba Campaign’s Carnival of Resistance to the Hostile Environment ? .
Do come and join us — it would be lovely to meet any new faces; all levels of creativity for banner-making welcome! Drop us an email at sheffield@medact.org if you’re planning to come along.
We’ll be in the training and performance room at the U-mix Centre, 17 Asline Road, Lowfield, Sheffield, S2 4UJ.

Refugees Welcome Demo
2021-10-20 16:30 - 18:30 | Parliament Square, London, SW1P 3, United Kingdom, Parliament Square, London, SW1, United Kingdom
Right now, women, children and men fleeing war, persecution and conflict need our support. Yet just when the UK needs to uphold its commitments to refugees, in October the new Nationality and Borders Bill moves closer to becoming law. This bill will make it harder than ever for people who come here to seek safety.
The government has committed to take 20,000 Afghan refugees over the next five years. But that isn’t enough, and lacks the necessary urgency. While we are hearing accounts of mothers throwing their babies over razor wire in desperation in the face of the horrors facing them under the Taliban, the UK government plans to make people wait years for resettlement, and to imprison any who manage to flee to the UK by other means.
We can and must do more to welcome refugees, and not just Afghans. Everyone who crosses borders for safety should be given a fair hearing and a chance to rebuild their lives.
We know that our communities can be generous and welcoming and that many people want to do more for those who come here for safety. Through this rally, we want to show the Government that we oppose this Bill, and that we want to live in a humane and welcoming society.
If you agree, join us outside Parliament. Hear from refugees and add your voice to the movement to welcome them. The event is for everyone who cares about the rights of people to seek asylum.
The rally is being organised by people with experience of the asylum system with support from Solidarity With Refugees, Women for Refugee Women and IMIX, but we want it to belong to us all.

No Borders in the NHS! Week of Action, 23-27 October
2021-10-23 00:00 - 2021-10-27 23:59
The Hostile Environment is turning the NHS into the new frontier of border control. Join us as we take action against patient charging and demand an end to borders in the NHS!

Hostile Environment immigration policies are undermining the founding principles of the NHS. People are turned away from the healthcare they need. People are turned away from the healthcare they need. Immigration checks are becoming normalised in receptions and wards across the country. NHS hospitals routinely share patient data with the Home Office. People are harassed by debt collectors for huge bills they will never be able to pay.

Save the dates! No Borders In The NHS: Week of Action, 23-27 October. People all over the country will take action across five themed days of action, more info to follow!

We must remember all those whose lives have been devastated by border controls in healthcare, continue to resist through collective organising in hospitals and workplaces, and stand in solidarity with all those who are impacted by the hostile environment. Join us!

No Borders In The NHS: Week of Action, 23 – 27 October

People all over the country will take action across five themed days.

Saturday 23rd – Remember and Resist!

We begin by remembering and honouring all those whose lives have been destroyed by racist Hostile Environment policies. October 23rd marks four years since the introduction of upfront charging for migrants in the NHS, and two years since the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found in a lorry in Essex.

Today we remember Nasar Ullah Khan, who died after being denied treatment for heart failure. We remember Elfreda Spencer, who died because she could not pay £30,000 upfront for chemotherapy. We remember Kelema Mulat, who died following a 6 week delay in breast cancer treatment. We remember Elvis, who died of coronavirus without help because he was too scared of being charged or deported if he came forward for treatment. We remember all whose lives have been made disposable at the hands of Britain’s hostile border controls—their bravery, their struggles to survive and their campaigns for a better world.

Join campaign groups across the country holding street stalls and vigils:

London:

12 noon – 1pm @ Lewisham Hospital A&E, SE13. With Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign, Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network and Lewisham Citizens

12 noon @ Whitechapel Underground Station. With Tower Hamlets Keep Our NHS Public

12 noon @ Dalston Farmers Market, St Paul’s Church, N16. With Hackney Patients Not Passports, Hackney Keep Our NHS Public, Akwaaba, and Feminist Fightback

6pm @ Walthamstow Town Square, E17. With Waltham Forest Patients Not Passports, Waltham Forest Save Our NHS, and Waltham Forest Migrant Action

Brighton & Hove:

5.30pm @ Peace Statue, Hove Lawns, Hove. With Brighton Medact

Manchester:

Midday @ St. Mary’s Hospital, Oxford Road (opposite the Whitworth Gallery), Manchester, M13. With Greater Manchester Patients Not Passports, Manchester Keep our NHS Public, Medact Manchester, and The Greater Manchester Immigraiton Aid Unit

Rally against the Nationality & Borders Bill. 2pm @ St Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. With NW Unison, NW NEU, Greater Immigration Aid Unit, Lancashire Association Trades Union Councils(LATUC), Greater Manchester Association Trades Union Councils, NW Unison Black Members Committee, NW TUC Black Members Committee, Status Now, and RAPAR.

Sun 24th – Free for All Forever: No to Privatisation

The introduction of Hostile Environment immigration policies into the NHS goes hand in hand with a wider project of privatising our healthcare system and erosion of its founding principle: that healthcare is a right and should be available to everyone, regardless of ability to pay or where you’re from. The 2017 introduction of upfront charging in the NHS marked one of the most profound changes since it was established, forcing NHS Trust to withhold care from people that cannot pay. The new Health and Care Bill, currently being debated in Parliament will further open the door to privatisation and the undermining of our health system as we know it.

Read this article by Keep Our NHS Public campaigner, Alia Butt, and help us share Docs Not Cops’ video outlining what is happening to the NHS.

Mon 25th – Solidarity Knows No Borders: End the Hostile Environment

Today we stand in solidarity with everyone impacted by the Hostile Environment and the racism of border controls. From schools, to housing, to healthcare, the Hostile Environment seeks to destroy lives and undermine access to vital public services. At the same time, the Government’s new Borders & Nationality Bill – also known as the #AntiRefugeeBill – seeks to create a two tier system for people seeking safety, normalise offshore migrant prisons, and limit migrants’ access to justice.

Today we will highlight that the immigration system is not broken – it is violent and hostile by design. We will stand with all campaigning for an end to the Hostile Environment in its entirety.

In London, there will be a street stall outside St Thomas’ Hospital to talk to NHS staff about The Hostile Environment and how it will impact their work:

7:30pm – 9pm @ St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge entrance, SE1. With Lambeth and Southwark Patients Not Passports

In Sheffield, there’ll be a street stall outside the Royal Hallamshire to talk to NHS staff about the Hostile Environment, raise awareness about the Justice for Simba campaign, and find out how to get more involved with the movement for migrant justice:

4pm @ Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, S10. With Medact Sheffield, The Justice for Simba Campaign, South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group

In Newcastle, there’ll be a street stall outside Royal Victoria Infirmary to talk to NHS staff about The Hostile Environment and how it will impact their work:

8am – 9:30am, Monday 25th @ Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, NE1. With Keep Our NHS Public North East and Medact North East

Tuesday 26th – Organise To Win

The Hostile Environment seeks to turn those who care and support the most marginalised in our society into border guards. This is what we must remember when we build our campaigns against racist immigration controls in our public services. The Department of Health will only listen when we organise in our workplaces and in our communities, to raise collective awareness about what is happening under the Hostile Environment and together refuse to be complicit in this system.

It will take all of us to win. That means everybody the Hostile Environment tries to recruit as a border guard, we must now recruit to our campaign: to be fighters for justice and to stand up for everyone’s right to healthcare. NHS workers have a particular role to play to advocate for patients facing increasing barriers to care and to protect the universal principles that underpin the NHS.

Look out for a list of street stalls and leafleting at hospitals and town centres near you, with information about how you can join the campaign wherever you are.

London:

7:30am – 9am @ St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge entrance, London SE1. With Lambeth and Southwark Patients Not Passports.

Leeds:

7:30 – 9am @ Leeds Infirmary, Jubilee Wing main entrance, Leeds, LS1. With Leeds Keep Our NHS Public

Brighton:

7.45am and 4.45pm @ Royal Sussex County Hospital, BN2

4.45pm @ Millview Hospital, BN3

Time TBC @ Princess Royal Hospital, BR6

Time TBC @ Eastbourne District General Hospital, BN21

Wednesday 27th – No Borders In Healthcare

Our NHS was founded on the principle of universal healthcare, free at the point of use for everyone – regardless of background, nationality, or ability to pay. The government’s Hostile Environment means this is no longer the case. What we see as a result is people deterred from seeking the care they need, outright denied treatment on the basis of the documents they have, questioned about their entitlement to care because of how they look, the colour of their skin, or their so called ‘foreign sounding name’, and people being forced to choose between incurring huge debts, regularising their immigration status, or their good health.

Today we join forces across the country to make our message clear: no borders in healthcare. The NHS must treat #PatientsNotPassports.

If you’re in Newcastle join their banner drop:

8:30am @ The Dome, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. With North East Keep Our NHS Public, and Medact North East

In Liverpool, campaigners from Merseyside Solidarity Knows No Borders will be out in the town centre talking to people about the impact of NHS charging and how to join the Patients Not Passports campaign:

Midday @ Liverpool Town Centre (close to Iceland on Kensington). With Merseyside Solidarity Knows No Borders.

In Bristol, there’ll be a demo in the town centre calling for an end to NHS Charging and the Hostile Environment:

5pm – 7pm @ The Sails, by Primark, Broadmead, BS1. With Bistol Patients Not Passports and Bristol Medact

We’ll let you know how to participate online on the day! Get in touch at info@act.patientsnotpassports.co.uk to help get the message out on Wednesday morning.

Health blocs @ Global Day of Action for Climate Justice
2021-11-06 11:00 - 16:00 | Across the UK, United Kingdom
What’s happening?
This Autumn, the Decarbonisation and Economic Strategy Bill (otherwise known as the Green New Deal Bill) returns to Parliament. The Bill aims to end licensing for new fossil fuel projects, promote the rapid decarbonisation of our economy, support healthy food systems, safeguard natural habitats, restore biodiversity and tackle inequality, all the while investing in millions of good quality green jobs!
The Bill presents a unique opportunity for the promotion of both public and planetary health ─ one in which the health community has a crucial role to play. The changes we’re calling for are not small. To win, we need to build public support to put pressure on MPs to do the right thing.
What will the action involve?
This action will involve setting up a local ‘Climate Clinic’ to engage the public on the health impacts of the climate crisis and encourage them to take action by signing a postcard to their MP asking that they support the Green New Deal Bill.
We’re encouraging groups to run their Climate Clinics on either Saturday 25th September or Saturday 2nd October – but if this isn’t possible for you/your group, please do still sign up, it’ll be okay to run it on another day that suits you.
We’ve produced an action guide that explains the step-by-step process of how to set up your own Climate Clinic. Additionally, we will be running training calls on 13th and 27th September going over the process of setting up a Climate Clinic and how to have persuasive conversations with members of the public.
Sign up now to join the action!
Signup for this action has now closed!

No To Arms Fairs - Refugees and Migrants Welcome
2022-03-15 18:00 - 19:00
Next week we are seeing a return to ‘business-as-usual’, with the UK government’s annual Security and Policing Fair taking place in Farnborough on 15-17 March.
On Tuesday 15 March at 6pm, a vigil will be held outside the Home Office in London to remember those who have lost their lives to our government’s border regime and arms trade.
Stand with us against the arms fair – join the WhatsApp Group for the Health Bloc.
The Security and Policing Fair brings together arms and surveillance companies with policing, prison and border enforcement agencies to sell their wares and share tactics with government representatives from around the world. In previous years, arms companies such as BAE Systems, Babcock and Thales exhibited to representatives of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel.
Despite the UK government’s recent assurances that it would be easing visa requirements for certain Ukrainians fleeing war, this year’s fair will be focusing on border enforcement and surveillance technologies.
Medact members will be attending this vigil to oppose the fair, and to call for a move away from violent security measures to human security that prioritises collective health and wellbeing.
Join our WhatsApp Group to organise and stay updated about our health bloc at the vigil. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email reemabuhayyeh@medact.org.
If you can’t attend in person but would like to show your solidarity, here are some materials you can share online (via JCWI).

UK Gov: Join the Nuclear Ban Treaty World Meeting!
2022-05-24 13:00 - 14:00
On Tuesday 24 May at 1pm, we invite you to join us and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) outside the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to urge the UK government to attend the First Meeting of State Parties (1MSP) of the Nuclear Ban Treaty. The UK cannot remain silent on the nuclear ban and must join the treaty!
At the end of June, state representatives from across the world will be meeting in Vienna for the 1MSP of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
This is a momentous occasion, where member states of the TPNW will discuss the next steps to advancing the treaty and the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons.
The UK government, however, has continued to refuse to engage with the TPNW—and it has shown no intention of attending this incredibly important world meeting as an observer.
This will be a small and peaceful rally where we will aim to hand in a letter calling on the government to attend the 1MSP, and this letter signed by over 1 million people and endorsed by the Dalai Lama, calling for:

an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops;
a commitment from Russia and NATO to renounce the use of nuclear weapons in this conflict;
states to work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons.

If you have any questions about this rally and/or would like to attend, email office@medact.org.

For Health’s Sake, Stop Funding Fossil Fuels! Protest at the Treasury
2022-06-11 12:00 - 15:00
Location: Her Majesty’s Treasury, Westminster, London. Exact meeting place TBC.
On Saturday 11th June, we’re teaming up with our friends at Doctors for Extinction Rebellion to take the call of the health community for climate justice straight to the UK government on the steps of the Treasury in Westminster. Join us!
Register
Just months after hosting the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, the UK government greenlit the construction of the Abigail gas field off the Scottish coast. Now, the even larger Jackdaw field could be weeks away from getting the same approval.
Yet were construction of the Jackdaw field be approved, the gas extracted wouldn’t come online until 2025— the same year that the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently warned that greenhouse gas emissions must peak.
Instead of investing in the just transition needed to finally switch off gas in a way that’s fair on workers and dependent communities, the UK government is pushing to have gas reclassified as a ‘green investment’.
The IPCC’s recent report is unambiguous. We are facing our last chance to stave off a climate disaster—the health implications of which would be catastrophic for communities worldwide, especially those already impacted.
Stand with us outside the Treasury on June 11 to bring the call of the health community for climate justice straight to the UK government!
[Registration has now closed]

We Demand Better: Cost of Living march & rally
2022-06-18 10:30 - 14:00
Portland Place, London | Assemble from 11am | March departs 12pm | Rally 1pm
On Saturday 18 June, the trade union movement is mobilising in London to tell this government that we demand better. Medact will be participating as a health bloc!
We are witnessing the impact of the cost of living crisis on the lives of our most vulnerable patients and communities. We are seeing the biggest squeeze on households in decades, with millions forced to choose between heating and eating. The Spring Budget didn’t do anywhere near enough to lift the hardest hit out of financial hardship and poverty.
Ministers partied while people died. Now they do nothing while living standards plummet and P&O lays off hundreds of workers on the spot—an example of the eroding employment rights in a country where there are more people living in poverty at work than out of work.
We demand better!

A real pay rise for every worker and a real living wage for all
Respect and security for all workers: ban zero hours contracts, ban fire & rehire, decent sick pay
An end to racism at work
Tax energy profits to pay our bills
A raise to universal credit
Boost union bargaining rights

For those outside of London, use this TUC resource to find a free or low-cost coach.
Register to receive updates and more details closer to the time.
[Registration has now closed]

Prescription for Climate Justice: Health Action Summer/Autumn 2022
2022-07-04 - 2022-10-31
Let’s take our Climate Clinics to the next level!
Last year, health workers across the UK started running climate clinics to engage their communities and put pressure on MPs to oppose new fossil fuels and support the Green New Deal bill.
Now, we want YOU to set up a climate clinics in your community.
Get your action guide
These clinics are a valuable opportunity to speak to those most impacted by government decisions, and ensure our voices are heard in all levels of government. There is so much we can do as members of the health community to reach new people, engage them on the issue and empower them to take action.
We have put together an action guide with everything you need to know about setting up your own climate clinic. It’s up to us to demand a just transition and forge a better future for everyone.
Sign up to receive the action guide when it’s released!
[Registration has now closed]

Health blocs @ Global Day of Action for Climate Justice 2022
2022-11-12 | Across the UK, United Kingdom
Global temperatures, rising. Energy bills, rising. Billionaire profits, rising. Health injustice, rising.
Last year, you and the health community came together in your 100s across the UK for the global day of action during COP 26 in Glasgow. Since then, energy companies are making record-breaking profits while people are being forced to choose between heating and eating.

Government policies, both nationally and globally, are causing devastation to people’s health. Working people and people of colour—who have contributed the least to the problem—are paying the price with killer famines, floods, crop failures, fires and rising poverty.

This November, when world leaders meet in Egypt for COP27, African movements have called for a Global Day of Action for climate justice.

The UK Government must stop its climate wrecking plans, and implement real climate solutions that solve both the climate and cost of living crises. To stop this crisis we need action that cuts carbon, tackles inequality and ends the injustices baked into our world. Communities in the global south need urgent climate finance and reparations for the loss and damages that have caused mass destruction of lives and livelihoods.

Justice won’t be handed to us by world leaders or delivered by corporations. We need to organise in our communities to ensure that not only is no one is cold or hungry this winter, but that we stop the headlong rush into climate catastrophe.

Sign up to join your local health bloc on the day! Medact London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol and Blackpool. Select where you will be marching in the form below.

You can see the full list of locations where demonstrations are taking place on the climatejustice.uk website. If you are planning to join demonstrations not listed above, please get in touch with Rob Abrams, Climate & Health Campaign & Programme lead on robabrams@medact.org.

[Registration has now closed]

No Borders in the NHS Bloc @ SOS NHS National Demonstration
2023-03-11 12:00 - 17:00
Patients Not Passports is going to the SOS NHS national demonstration to save the NHS!

Join PNP campaigners from across the country in our No Borders in the NHS Bloc, where we will march together for migrant justice and to defend the principles of a truly universal NHS.

If you’re new to the campaign it’ll be a great way to meet people already involved and get connected with your local group. We’ll have banners and flyers for you to give out, and maybe a little soundsystem!

We’ll march together from Warren Street to Westminster and then find somewhere for a drink afterwards. Remember to wear sturdy shoes, bring snacks, water, warm clothes, and a fully charged phone. If you’d like to buddy with someone else coming on the demo, or you just want to have a chat before coming, then let us know at info@patientsnotpassports.co.uk

If you want to make banners and hang out with us beforehand then come to our banner making and social on Thursday 2nd March – see here for more info!

[Registration has now closed]

Medact Northeast: Don't Bank on the Bomb
2023-04-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Natwest, 16 Northumberland St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7EL
On Saturday 29th April, Medact Northeast are going to be campaigning for Don’t Bank on the Bomb in Newcastle upon Tyne. The group are meeting outside NatWest in Northumberland St at 10am to distribute leaflets explaining NatWest’s current investments of £20 billion in nuclear weapons production, which is in direct contravention of the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons.

All are very welcome to join!

For more details, contact group coordinator Elizabeth via email.

Demonstration: Stop US nukes coming to Lakenheath!
2023-05-20 13:00 - 15:00 | RAF Lakenheath, Brandon Road, Lakenheath, Suffolk, IP27 9PS, United Kingdom
Earlier this year, it came to light that US nuclear weapons may once again be stationed at the military base RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England.
In the 1950’s and 60’s, US nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath were involved in two serious accidents that could have led to their detonation. If this had come to pass, in the words of one senior US official at the time, it could have led to “a part of Eastern England […] becom[ing] a desert”.
Our friends at Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) have called a second demonstration at RAF Lakenheath on Saturday 20th May from 1pm.
CND is organising transport from:

London: book your coach ticket here
Cambridge: email cambridgestopwar@googlemail.com
Brandon station: email sue.wright44@icloud.com to book your place
Norwich: email sue.wright44@icloud.com to book your place

Email information@cnduk.org for further information. If you’re driving to the protest, please park at the RAF Lakenheath viewing area, where a shuttle will then take you to the main gate
If you want to travel and/or attend with other Medact members, email office@medact.org

Don’t Bank on the Bomb Scotland Day of Action
2023-06-30 12:00 - 13:00
Don’t Bank on the Bomb Scotland is a network of organisations campaigning for Scottish financial institutions and public bodies to divest from the companies that are involved in the production and development of nuclear weapons. The network is organising a Day of Action on Friday June 30th.

This Day of Action will be focussed on keeping up the pressure on the Royal Bank of Scotland to end its support for companies involved in the production and development of nuclear weapons.

It was reported that in January 2021, the NatWest group—which is RBS is a part—had 2.3 billion pounds in outstanding loans or underwriting activities in seven companies heavily involved in the nuclear weapons industry.

You can organise a stall or protest outside your local branch, or come down to planned stalls in Glasgow (Royal Bank of Scotland, Gordon Street) or Edinburgh (Royal Bank of Scotland, Nicholson Square). Both are running from 12noon to 1pm. Anyone is welcome to come along, even for a short time, to hold a placard or help put out hand leaflets!

If you’d like more information, support in setting up a stall or to receive leaflets, email Arthur West of DBoTBS.

Migrant Justice Bloc at the Conservative Party Conference
2023-10-01 12:15 - 16:00
Say NO to the Hostile Environment and NO to racist scapegoating

Join Greater Manchester Patients Not Passports and the migrant justice bloc at the national demonstration and march to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

Through Hostile Environment immigration controls, the Government tries to bring the border into our neighbourhoods, our workplaces, our homes and our communities. But wherever these racist policies intrude on our lives, we see resistance – from Kenmure street, to the Portland docks, to the doorstep of Home Office reporting centres, it is through these powerful acts of collective resistance that we are fighting back against the hostile environment.

Join us in Manchester and make sure that they know we will fight every part of the hostile immigration system!

Let Greater Manchester Patients Not Passports know you’re coming – drop them an email at gmcrpnp@gmail.com.

March details

When/where: 12:15pm Sunday 1st October, Manchester

Meeting point: Oxford Road (Whitworth Park side) at the junction with Hathersage Road opposite St Mary’s Hospital (M14 4PW) at 12:15 p.m.

Main March Starts From: Outside the Manchester Museum (M13 9PL) at 1 p.m. We plan to join the Migrants Rights bloc in the main march – details to follow.

March length: the march will travel from the Manchester Museum to Castlefield Bowl, approx. 1.4 miles, where there will be a rally and speakers.

Remember: wear sturdy shoes and warm clothes and bring snacks, water and a fully charged phone.If you’d like to buddy with someone else coming on the demo, or you just want to have a chat beforehand, let us know at gmcrpnp@gmail.com

Health workers at Stop Rosebank, Glasgow
2023-10-07 11:45 - 13:00
The UK Government has just approved the Rosebank oil field.

As healthcare students and health workers, this directly matters to us. Join us on Saturday October 7th to show that the health community will not stand for new gas and oil. The protest starts at noon, and we will be meeting at 11.45 outside Queen’s Street station.

Please feel free to come in scrubs/stethoscopes, and create placards relevant to the climate crisis as a health crisis.

The WHO has forecast that without immediate and effective action, climate change will cause 250,000 additional deaths each year between 2030 and 2050 alone. Just like COVID-19, it is those with the least that are being affected the most by the climate crisis.

As direct witnesses to the health crises we face, we must take action to show that this destruction is not inevitable. There is no planetary health without human health, and wherever you work in healthcare, whatever your role in speciality, it will impact us and our patients.

People right across the UK want a reliable, affordable energy supply, not more oil and gas that puts all our futures at risk. Join this protest to pressure the UK to reverse their decision, and use every tool we can to delay and eventually stop this field.

Email Marina if you want to get in touch before Saturday.

Stop the war on Gaza! Health Blocs at national demonstrations for Palestine
2023-10-21 00:00 - 23:59
Join other health workers marching on Friday 20th October and Saturday October 21st to stand in solidarity with Palestine and call for an immediate ceasefire.

This week has seen horrific attacks and human rights abuses as Israel’s bombardment of Gaza intensifies, following Hamas’ attack and kidnapping of Israeli citizens on Saturday 7th October.

Upward of three thousand Palestinian civilians have been killed, with sources estimating almost half of fatalities being women and children, and many thousands more injured and without access to water, food or fuel.

Gaza’s already under-resourced health system is under intense pressure with hospitals coming under fire, overcrowding leaving patients suffering on the floor, and a severe lack of essential equipment. We know health workers themselves are also among the fatalities of targeted attacks on hospitals.

Health workers must take a stand against the violence and against the targeting of health infrastructure in clear breach of international law. It is vital that we come together to show the UK government that it must end its complicity and do all it can to bring about a ceasefire!

Know your rights: Read this information from Netpol on marching.

Find details for how to get involved in the health-worker blocs below. These health blocs have been coordinated by health workers in the movement for health justice.

If you are interested in organising a health workers bloc at a solidarity demonstration near you, in a location not listed below, get in touch: office@medact.org!

London

We’ll be joining a health workers bloc at the National March for Palestine – Stop the War on Gaza!

When: 11:30am, to join the main demonstration at 12:00pm

Where: Marble Arch Fountains, Marble Arch, London – (map)

Wear: If you feel comfortable, wear things that identify you as a health worker, scrubs, stethoscope etc. The current forecast is cold and clear so dress warmly.

Remember: wear sturdy shoes and bring snacks, water and a fully charged phone.

Join the WhatsApp broadcast group:

Join group 1 (this group is now full!)

Join group 2 (use this one if you can’t join 1!)

If you’d like to buddy with someone else coming on the demo, or you just want to have a chat beforehand, let us know at jamesskinner@medact.org.

Sheffield

When: Saturday 21st Oct, 12pm

Where: Sheffield City Hall, S1 2JA

Point of contact: Jordi – jordilopezbotey@medact.org (get in touch to join the WhatsApp group!)

North East

When: Saturday 21st Oct, 12pm

Where: BBC Newcastle Broadcasting House, Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4NS

Point of contact: Kate – katebernard@medact.org (get in touch to join the WhatsApp group!)

Glasgow

When: Saturday 21st Oct, 2pm

Where: Buchanan Steps, 229 Buchanan St, Glasgow, G1 2NG

Point of contact: Marina – marina.politis@gmail.com (get in touch to join the WhatsApp group!)

Leeds

When: Saturday 21st Oct, meet at 12pm

Where: JD Sports Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6HFMarch at 12.30 to BCC Yorkshire, St Peter’s Square, Leeds, LS9 8AH

Point of contact: Emily – Escott.emilyj@gmail.com (get in touch to join the WhatsApp group!)

Medact Bloc @ No More Austerity 2.0 Demonstration
2025-06-07 11:30 - 17:00 | Portland Place
Medact is going to the upcoming demo – No More Austerity 2.0! Amidst rising living costs and growing pressure on overstretched public services, the Government is making sweeping cuts to welfare, winter fuel payments, and adult social care in order to fund increased military spending.

Together, we’re demanding welfare, not warfare – join us!

11.30am – Assemble

12pm – March!

Organised by The People’s Assembly, this national demonstration makes three main demands:

No to Austerity 2.0 – Fund our public services.

Tax the Rich – Empower workers, not big business.

Welfare, not Warfare – Stop attacks on disabled people.

If you’re new to Medact, it’ll be a great way to meet people already involved and get connected with a campaign group. We’ll have a banner and placards, and we’ll march together from Portland Place to Whitehall. Remember to wear sturdy shoes, bring snacks, water, warm clothes, and a fully charged phone.

Make sure you register below to get details nearer the time, including a link to join an optional WhatsApp Group to stay in touch with the bloc on the day!

If you want to make banners and hang out with us beforehand, come to our banner and placard making session on Thursday 29th May, 6–8pm in Medact’s London office (Bethnal Green). Indicate you’d like to join us for this in the form below! If you have any questions or concerns ahead of the day – you can email our Movement Organiser, Cal – calumbarnes@medact.org.

Medact Bloc @ Shut DSEI Down
2025-09-09 10:00 - 14:00 | Excel Centre, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London, E16 1XL, United Kingdom
Medact is going to the upcoming demo – Shut DSEI Down!

What is DSEI?

One of the world’s largest arms fairs, Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), will be back at London’s ExCeL Centre from Tuesday 9 September to Friday 12 September 2025. Stop the Arms Fair organises a programme of events, actions and mobilisations before and during DSEI.

Medact are mobilising on Tuesday 9th September – alongside Health Workers for a Free Palestine UK, and 100 other campaign groups and organisations – to add our voice to a broad coalition of organisations and groups standing firmly against: DSEI, the arms industry, and the UK government’s egregious role in upholding the military-industrial complex, fuelling war and genocide.

How to join us!

Register to join us so we know you’re coming! Members of the Medact staff team will be present (spot our banner!) and you can join this announcement-only WhatsApp group ahead of time to receive updates in the run up about precise arrival time and meeting points!

Welfare

Police presence is almost certain at this mobilisation. This may feel worrying, especially if it’s your first time at a demonstration like this. We highly recommend staying together as a group, and following the advice of Medact staff present to ensure against any unwanted encounters with the police.

Remember, taking action together can be a joyous, powerful and affirming thing to do! And if you’re new to Medact, it’ll be a great way to meet people already involved.

We recommend wearing sturdy shoes, bringing snacks, water, warm waterproof clothes, and a fully charged phone. If you have any questions or concerns ahead of the day – you can email our Peace and Security Campaign Lead, Sarah – sarahlasoye@medact.org, or office@medact.org.
