Cuba & International Health - with Dr Enmanuel Vigil Fonseca
2019-06-10 18:30 - 20:00 (Europe/London) | Floyer House – Queen Mary’s, University of London, Stepney Way, London, E1 2DP, United Kingdom
In 2009 — as soon as he qualified from medical school in Havana — Dr. Enmanuel Vigil Fonseca began volunteering on international missions. Beginning in Venezuela, Dr. Fonseca joined primary care services aimed at providing medical coverage to vulnerable communities. He then headed to Sierra Leone as part of Cuba’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which included a total of 12,000 health workers volunteering their support. Dr. Fonseca’s following missions would take him to Western Sahara and Ecuador, where Cuba’s medical brigades responded to flooding and an earthquake.
Dr. Fonseca will join us to discuss Cuba’s healthcare and medical internationalism, providing insight into one of the world’s most remarkable approaches to national health provision and international health. Chairing the discussion is Professor Imti Choonara, a retired paediatrician, emeritus professor in Child Health at the University of Nottingham and Editor in Chief of BMJ Paediatrics Open. Dr. Choonara is also interested in international child health and organises an annual workshop on Child Health in Cuba.
To attend, please register using the form below. We are very sorry that the venue for this event is not wheelchair accessible. We do intend to live-stream the event so that anyone that wants to can join online.
We are grateful to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign for their help with hosting this event. You can read more about Dr. Fonseca on the Cuba Solidarity Campaign website.
[Registration has now closed]

Medact East Yorkshire Meeting - Divest Our Local Pensions
2019-06-21 18:30 - 20:30 | King’s Church Hall, Swinemoor Lane, Beverley, HU17 0JX
Medact Yorkshire are lobbying their local councils to take their financial investments out of fossil fuels. If you live or work in East Riding of Yorkshire join our next meeting on this issue.
Join our meeting on Friday 21st June from 6:30pm where we will discuss our next steps for this work, and other courses of action we can take locally towards a fossil free and healthy future.
– Friday 21st June , 6.30pm – 8:30pm
– King’s Church Hall, Swinemoor Lane, Beverley HU17 0JX (to the rear of MKM and Aldi).
Food will be from 6:30pm and the meeting will start promptly at 7pm
Please RSVP to yorkshire@medact.org so we can provide adequate catering.
It is vital that our local decision makers listen to the voice of health workers as we call for change. We look forward to seeing you at the meeeing.

Musicians for Peace and Disarmament - Summer Concert, 2019
2019-07-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Hinde Street Methodist Church, 19 Thayer Street, London, W1U 2QJ, United Kingdom
Join Musicians for Peace and Disarmament for a piano recital from Viv McLean. All proceeds from this concert will go towards organisations in the peace movement.

Welfare Not Warfare: DSEI banner-making and pizza evening
2019-08-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Medact Office, The Brick Yard, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, United Kingdom
Join us for an evening of pizza and banner-making in preparation for raising our voices against the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) – the world’s largest arms fair – taking place in September in London.
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, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt.
We will be attending the protests against DSEI on the 7th of September 2019, to raise our voices against the devastating health and humanitarian impacts of war and the global arms trade.
During our banner-making and pizza evening, you will learn more about DSEI and why the health community must campaign against the arms industry which profits from the perpetuation of war and violence.
[Registration has now closed]

AGM Weekend 2019
2019-09-07 - 2019-09-08 | Medact Office, The Brick Yard, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, United Kingdom
Medact’s 2019 Annual General Meeting will take place in London on Saturday 7th September.
The AGM is a chance to come together to review the work we’ve done together over the past year, to meet with other members, staff and the Medact Board, to propose motions on Medact’s governance and to elect new Trustees.
In addition to the AGM, we are planning exciting activities for both the Saturday and Sunday to make a full weekend of Medact
AGM + DSEI Action – Saturday 7th September – 11.30 – 5pm (approx.)
On the Saturday, the business part of the AGM will be followed by an opportunity for attendees to take part in a family-friendly action aimed at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair taking place in London the following week. A preparatory talk will ensure everyone is ready to take part, as well as providing some context for Medact’s work on the health impacts of the arms trade and the wider medical peace movement.
AGM Papers are now available to download as follows:

AGM 2019 – Agenda, Resolutions & Nominations [PDF]
AGM 2018 – Draft Minutes for approval [PDF]
Medact Accounts FY18-19 – for approval [PDF]

Training Day – Sunday 8th September – 9.30 – 4:30pm
On the Sunday we will be hosting a training day for members to get support with the skills, connections and resources you need to effectively advocate for change on the issues you’re passionate about. The main focus of this training day will be on speaking to power. Through a series of exercises we will learn tips and techniques for speaking to decision makers about different campaign issues – thinking about how might we change our language and tactics for engaging local politicians as well as the decision makers who hold the power in our hospital trusts, and other places of work. As part of this you will gain a wider understanding of how Medact campaigns for health equality, how you can take part in this work and what different tactics we can utilise alongside speaking to decision makers to push for the change we want to see.
We will be based at the Medact Office in The Grayston Centre, 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT on both days. Lunch will be provided – but please RSVP below so we know numbers for this!

Click here to Register
AGM Papers

[Registration has now closed]

Showing that the health community supports the Student Climate Strikers - September Actions
2019-09-20 - 2019-09-27
Millions of children and young people from around the world have been striking on Fridays in an urgent call for action to address the climate crisis. They have called on adults to stand in solidarity with them for a giant week of action on 20th – 27th September.
Members of the healthcare community have been organising actions to support the students in different parts of the UK; use our database of health actions to check if an action has been planned near you.

Click here to find your nearest action

Medact members and other healthcare workers will be attending the London student march on 20th September as a group. We’ll meet beforehand in the Medact offices at 9.45am – and then travel to the march together. You would be very welcome to join us earlier, from 8.30 am, for breakfast and banner making; just email deirdreduff@medact.org so we have an idea of numbers. Our full address is The Grayston Centre, 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT

If a health action has not been planned in your area, there is still time to plan one! There will be student climate demos taking place all over the UK on 20th September. So we’re asking members of the healthcare community to organise a healthcare presence at your local student demo/march on 20th September (local student demos/marches are listed here). And/or to organise an alternative action, to show your support for the students, in your workplace.
See our action guide on how to organise your own local health events to support the students.
If you’re interested in getting involved, in either an “attending only” or an “organising a local action” capacity, then please RSVP below. This will let us be in touch with further details; we can provide you with support to organise and advertise your local actions.
Finally, it’s important to stress that we are not calling on the healthcare community – and especially patient facing healthcare workers – to strike on the 20th-27th September. Rather we are asking you to use your break periods and/or your days-off to take action to show solidarity with the student climate strikers while keeping patients safe.
[Registration has now closed]

‘Do No Harm’ - a meeting about war, the arms trade and health
2019-09-30 19:00 - 20:30 | Medact Office, The Brick Yard, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, United Kingdom
Earlier this month, over 276 health workers sent a letter to the UK government urging them to stop supporting the arms trade and arms fairs such as DSEI.
We invite you to join us in discussing the impacts of war and armed conflict on health, and of health workers working at the front lines in conflict zones.
We hope to also discuss how the health community can join the campaign to hold the UK government to account for its role, through for example facilitating the sale of arms to countries such as Saudi Arabia, in public health crises abroad as a result of conflict.
Speakers include:
– Rita Dayoub, a Syrian dentist, Academy Associate at Chatham House and founder of Health Workers at the Frontline
– Dr. Sara Beleil, Psychiatrist and Academic Secretary at the Sudan Doctors’ Union UK
– Ann Feltham, Parliamentary Coordinator at Campaign Against the Arms Trade
Our building has step-free access, but this is not permanent, i.e. you need someone to help set up ramp at the front entrance or let you in via the back door through the bike shed. There are “standard” non-wide doorways through to the meeting rooms.
[Registration has now closed]

Medact Dorset Autumn Meeting
2019-11-21 19:00 - 21:10 | The Libertine Pub, Westbourne, 1 Alumhurst Rd, Bournemouth, BH4 8EL, United Kingdom
Medact Dorset will be meeting on Thursday 21st November for…

An update on our Divestment campaign
A screening of a short documentary about migrant access to healthcare
An overview of Medact’s campaigns and a chance to discuss what areas Medact Dorset would like to get involved with.

Join us at The Libertine, Westbourne, BH4 8EL from 7pm onwards.
RSVP below and please encourage any health-worker friends or colleagues to come along too!
[Registration has now closed]

Medact Liverpool January Meeting
2020-01-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Royal Liverpool University Hospital , Prescot St, Liverpool, L7 8XP, United Kingdom
Location: Seminar Room 6, Education Centre, Royal Liverpool University Hospital
We are excited to be hosting the first Medact Liverpool meeting of the year and are looking for new members to join us. Anyone working within healthcare is welcome!
Medact is a network of health professionals working on the social, political and economic conditions which damage health and deepen health inequalities.
The meeting will be an opportunity to meet up and discuss plans for the coming year. In particular looking at the fossil fuel divestment campaign.
Refreshments will be provided.
Whether you want to take an active role or just come along and hear a bit more about us – we look forward to seeing you there!

[Registration has now closed]

Medact Yorkshire: Group Training
2020-02-22 09:45 - 15:30 | Leeds Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds LS1 1UR, Leeds Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR, United Kingdom
Our Movement Builder Rachel Piper will be travelling up to deliver training to members of the Yorkshire group @ Leeds Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds LS1 1UR from 9:45am to 3:30pm.
The programme for the training day will be:
0945: Welcome and introductions
1000: The Psychological Consequences of Climate Change led by Dr Judith Anderson (retired Consultant psychiatrist and sits: on the Executive Committee of Climate Psychology Alliance
1115: break
1130: How does Medact Yorkshire fit in with Medact nationally?
1200: Harnessing networks and movement building
1230: Lunch
1330: Strategy for the next 6 months
1400: Medact Yorkshire short business meeting, review and update of events
1430: break
1445: Technology and communication training
1530: Close
Biscuits and cold drinks will be provided but please note there is no other catering available at the venue. There are plenty of places nearby to purchase food and hot drinks or please bring feel free to bring your own.
For more details contact yorkshire@medact.org

Medact Tyneside: Meeting
2020-02-24 | 20 Burdon Terrace Jesmond Newcastle on Tyne NE2 3AE, 20 Burdon Terrace, Newcastle, NE2 3AE
Medact Tyneside’s next meeting will be on Monday 24th of February at 20 Burdon Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle on Tyne NE2 3AE.
To RSVP/find out more email: tyneside@medact.org

Medact London: Meeting
2020-02-25 | Medact Office, The Brick Yard, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, United Kingdom
Brainstorming issues and campaigns + organising soft launch (soft economic justice campaign launch to happen between the next meetings on the 24th March and 28th April) at The Grayston Centre, 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT.

Medact Liverpool: Next Meeting
2020-02-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Seminar Room 6, The Education Centre, The Royal Liverpool Hospital, The Royal Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, L7 8XP, United Kingdom
Medact Liverpool are meeting on Thursday 27th Feb, 6-8pm, held in Seminar Room 6, The Education Centre, The Royal Liverpool Hospital.
To RSVP/find out more email: liverpool@medact.org

Emergency protest - Stop the persecution of Muslims in India
2020-02-29 16:30 - 18:30 | India House / India High Commission, Aldwych, London, WC2B 4NA, United Kingdom
Citizenship rules have been changed in India by the ruling Hindu Nationalist Party. The amendments made give preferential treatment to certain religious groups, explicitly barring Muslims, to gain citizenship in India. All this has led to communal violence against Muslims, who have had their homes, businesses, mosques and families targeted, most recently in Delhi.
It is important that the international community stands in solidarity with Muslim communities against this persecution and the recent spate of deadly violence in Delhi, before it escalates even further.
Join us at this emergency protest this Saturday 29 February outside India House/ the Indian High Commission in London. Medact staff members will be in attendance from 4:30-6:30pm – and we would love it if members joined us. Address details can be found below.
This protest has been called by South Asia Solidarity Group, SOAS India Society and South Asian Students Against Fascism
If you are planning on joining us at this protest, you can call us on the day to find out where we are – 07851 325 817

Medact Meet & Greet ahead of Lucas Plan screening at MAC Birmingham
2020-03-01 13:00 - 16:30 | MAC Birmingham, Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH
On March 1st, screenings are being organised up and down the country for the launch of The Plan ─ a new feature length documentary following the inspiring story of a group of workers at Lucas Aerospace in the 1970s, who, facing redundancies and industrial decline, came together to make a plan to keep jobs by using the company’s technology and their own skills to make things society needed, instead of military equipment.

THE PLAN Trailer from Steve Sprung on Vimeo.
At Medact, we are really excited about how campaigns such as the New Lucas plan and the Green New Deal are pushing for just transitions from arms and fossil fuel industries to more beneficial and sustainable industries ─ reshaping our economy to one that promotes health and well-being at the same time as equity and social justice.
In the run up to our #HealthJustice gathering in Birmingham on 27th-29th March, we will be hosting a meet & greet alongside the screening of The Plan at MAC Birmingham. Come along and talk to Ben from the office about the role for health workers in advocating for a just industrial transition, our new Medact Birmingham group, our upcoming conference, and how you can get involved. And if you can, stay for the film!
Ben will be around in the MAC cafe before the film starts from 1 – 2pm, and again during the interval 4 – 4.30pm. Feel free to drop by at any point for however long!
Look out for someone with leaflets – or call/text me on 07708260962 if you can’t find me!
Links
Book your ticket for the screening and Q&A at MAC Birmingham
Read New Lucas Plan campaigner Sam Mason’s piece on defence diversification for the Medact blog
Other launch screenings on Sunday 1st March around the UK

Cambridge Arts Picturehouse
Liverpool Picturehouse at FACT
London Bertha Dochouse
Norwich Cinema City Picturehouse
Sheffield Showroom

For details of how to book see the cinema’s website or The Plan on Facebook

Medact Migrant Solidarity Group: Meeting
2020-03-03 | Medact Office, The Brick Yard, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, United Kingdom
Medact Migrant Solidarity Group’s next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 3rd March at the Medact Office [or dial in with Google Meet ]

Medact Sheffield: Meeting
2020-03-03 07:00 - 20:30 | Seminar Room 4, Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, S10 2RX, Seminar Room 4, Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom
Medact Sheffield will be meeting on the 3rd March, 7pm – 8.30pm @ Seminar Room 4, Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, S10 2RX

Medact Scotland: Co-ordinator Lesley Morrison speaking at RCGP event
2020-03-04 18:30 - 21:00 | The Pearce Institute, 840-860 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 3UU, United Kingdom
Medact Scotland Co-ordinator Lesley Morrison is speaking at the West of Scotland RCGP IPCN event in Glasgow on 4th March: The Climate Crisis: A Health Emergency

Docs Not Cops Glasgow: Training Day
2020-03-07 10:00 - 17:00 | 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH,, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH, United Kingdom
Docs Not Cops is a campaign group of NHS professionals and patients fighting to protect access to healthcare and resist the hostile environment within the NHS.
Docs Not Cops Glasgow are organising a free training day to help educate health care workers from across all disciplines on the negative impacts of the hostile environment and how we can come together to resist. No prior experience or knowledge is required.
The day will be at Civic House from 10am til 5pm on Saturday the 7th of March.
Confirmed speakers include: Medical Justice, Scottish Detainee Visitors, Unity, Ubuntu, Freedom from Torture and Just Right, Doctors of the World
There will be a series of workshops including:

An Introduction to the Asylum System
How the hostile environment impacts health
Living in Detention: Effects on Health
How Healthcare Professionals can resist the Hostile Environment
Working with survivors of torture
Mental health and the Asylum System
Legalities and realities of Healthcare Access
Systemic racism within the NHS

There’ll be free lunch and coffee throughout the day. Civic House is accessible to wheelchair users, please contact with any queries regarding accessibility. We will also have Childcare available throughout the day.
The day is free but ticketed, please confirm attendance as places limited. All healthcare workers welcome!
Register here: https://bit.ly/3920VZa
Any questions about the day please email us at: docsnotcopsglasgow@gmail.com

Bristol Medact: Meeting
2020-03-09 18:00 - 20:00
GP Right to care meeting – building the safe surgeries movement in Bristol.
9th March @ 6pm

Medact Liverpool: Meeting
2020-03-10
Medact Liverpool had to postpone their meeting on the 10th March, but they will be meeting again very soon!

Medact Sheffield: Meeting
2020-03-18 19:00 - 20:30 | University of Sheffield Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Broomhall, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom
Medact Sheffield will be meeting on Wednesday 18th March, 7pm – 8:30pm, Medical School Seminar Room 4. Latecomers very welcome. We’ll probably manage a quick drink after if you’re free to stick around.

Medact Brighton: Patients Not Passports launch - Standing up for Migrant Healthcare
2020-03-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AF, Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AF, United Kingdom
Connecting those in Brighton and Hove challenging the hostile environment and fighting for access to healthcare for all. An action planning event to build a strong, collaborative movement across our city. All welcome.
Join us as we bring together people and organisations from across the city who are challenging racism and fighting for access to healthcare for all. We aim to build a collaborative movement that stands in solidarity with marginalised people in our communities and fights the hostile environment in the NHS. As health care workers, activists, migrants and people of Brighton we stand together against the racist charging regulations that prevent people from fulfilling their right to health.
This event will bring together all those working to fight racism and improve access to healthcare across the city. We will hear from the key organisations and individuals doing fantastic work in Brighton and beyond, before breaking up in small groups to make tangible action plans, based on existing our strengths and resources, to see the end of the hostile environment in health in Brighton.
After the workshops please join us to continue the conversation and stay for delicious food provided by the wonderful Jollof Cafe, for a small donation.
Everyone is welcome, whether a seasoned campaigner or someone who is new to activism but is passionate about health justice. The food will be vegan and the venue is wheelchair accessible.
RSVP below or email brighton@medact.org to find out more!
[Registration has now closed]

The Social Justice Approach to Coronavirus
2020-03-19 19:00 - 20:00
In this time of crisis, we need to keep the attention to public health measures that aren’t only good to control the virus outbreak but also extend to ensure that justice and protection is provided to those who are in the most vulnerable and precarious situations in our society.
We will be hosting a Youtube Live webinar to discuss the implications of the Budget and the wider effects of health and economic inequalities, how they combine to increase the vulnerability to the Coronavirus outbreak, and how we need to go beyond disease prevention to address the systemic conditions from which poor health and inequality emerge from.
Join the webinar by following this link: https://youtu.be/jZvWvk6_gos

University of Birmingham Docs Not Cops Conference
2020-03-22 09:00 - 16:00 | The University of Birmingham Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
This event has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Please do get in touch if you are unsure whether any Medact events are happening.
Access to Healthcare Campaigner, James Skinner, will be the headline speaker at the University of Birmingham Doc Not Cops Conference.
22nd March, 9am to 4pm @ The University of Birmingham Medical School.

Medact Scotland: Meeting
2020-03-23 19:30 - 20:30
Medact Scotland’s next meeting will be a virtual meeting. You can join us by clicking the link: meet.google.com/cds-iqow-izy
To RSVP/find out more email: scotland@medact.org

Medact London: Event on Economic Justice Work
2020-03-24 | Medact Office, The Brick Yard, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, United Kingdom
Event on Medact’s economic justice work

Medact Bristol: Online Meeting
2020-03-25 19:00 - 20:30
This will be an informal discussion on people’s knowledge, experience concerns and thoughts around the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have decided to run this in show of support and solidarity during this difficult time. However, we are aware that people are incredibly busy and so may not be able to join us. For all the key workers who are doing an incredible job, we would like to say a huge thank you. Our thoughts are with you.
You can join us via this Google Meets link: https://meet.google.com/uyy-xqwr-krd?authuser=1

Medact Liverpool: Meeting
2020-03-26
Medact Liverpool meeting on the 26th March

Medact Gathering 2020 [POSTPONED]
2020-03-27 00:00 - 2020-03-29 23:59 | Conference Aston, Aston University, Aston St, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom
Health Justice 2020

The health community as a force for change

Friday 27th – Sunday 29th March, 2020 Postponed

Aston University, Birmingham

After careful consideration and consultation, we have now decided to postpone our upcoming Health Justice conference in light of the current situation regarding Coronavirus.

We are obviously really disappointed that we can’t go ahead as we were looking forward to seeing you in Birmingham, but we recognise that the health community is currently working at full capacity to respond to the virus and there are particular risks to a mass gathering of health workers from across the UK.

There has been so much energy building up around the conference and we want to make sure to carry that forward ─ we hope to be in touch soon with a rescheduled date for later this year as soon as we can.

Medact’s 2020 Gathering will explore the interlinked societal and political structures which damage health and discussing the ways in which health workers can use their skills and social mandate to create change for good.

The programme will be made up of a range of different sessions covering our key areas of work, across streams on Access to Healthcare, Peace & Security, Climate Justice & Health, and Economic Justice.

There will be ample opportunity to connect with other Medact Members and supporters, to learn from the campaigning work happening across our movement. You will also have the opportunity to hear from fantastic keynote speakers, attend panel discussions and workshops, as well as gain key skills to further your campaigning work.

What’s on at the conference?

This year’s conference will be made up of streams of sessions covering the broad range of Medact’s current work. Attendees will be free to choose to focus on a key area of interest, or take part in sessions on multiple topics you’d like to learn more about.

View the draft programme!
