Medact London: Meeting
2020-07-28 18:00 - 20:00 (Europe/London) | Medact Office, The Brick Yard, 28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT, United Kingdom
Strategy planning meeting (how national and local fits together)

Medact Yorkshire Meeting
2020-07-29 19:00 - 20:00
Join the next Yorkshire online meeting as we continue our work campaigning on local pension funds divesting from fossil fuels.
Email yorkshire@medact.org for our meeting link.

New Economics Briefing: Healthcare, COVID-19 and the Hostile Environment
2020-07-30 19:00 - 20:30
Join us at next week’s New Economics Briefing in partnership with the New Economics Foundation, Migrants Organise, Doctors of the World, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, and Notts Refugee Forum where we’ll be discussing healthcare, COVID-19 and the Hostile Environment.
We’ll be hearing from:

Susan Cueva, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium – talking about their report A Chance to Feel Safe
Daniel Button, New Economics Foundation – on the findings of our research Patients Not Passports: Migrants’ Access to Healthcare During the Coronavirus Crisis
Ella Johnson, Doctors of the World – speaking to their rapid needs assessment An unsafe distance: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excluded People in England
Daniel Robertson, Notts Refugee Forum – on his experiences supporting people facing the combined threat of the Hostile Environment and coronavirus
James Skinner, Medact’s Access to Healthcare Campaignet – talking about the Patients Not Passports campaign and how you can get involved.

You can register your place here.

Medact Sheffield: Meeting
2020-08-04 19:30 - 20:30
Medact Sheffield will be meeting on Tuesday 4th August at 7:30pm.
Please email the Medact Sheffield Co-ordinators at sheffield@medact.org for information about how to join the meeting

Medact Migrant Solidarity Group: Meeting
2020-08-06 18:30 - 20:00
Medact’s Migrant Solidarity Group will be meeting on Thursday 6th August at 6:30pm.
For information about how to join the meeting please email migrantsolidarity@medact.org

Medact Research Network - Peace & Security Cluster Meeting
2020-08-07 18:30 - 20:00
The Peace & Security Cluster of the Medact Research Network will be meeting on Friday 7th August, 6.30pm – 8.00pm.
For details of how you can join, please email our Peace and Security Campaigner Reem Abu-Hayyeh: reemabuhayyeh@medact.org

Prevent duty in NHS ─ August planning meeting
2020-08-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom
We are having our second meeting to discuss the different ways that the health community can take collective action on issues related to the Prevent counter-extremism policy in healthcare.
The meeting will take place online on Monday 10 August from 6:30-8pm.
You must register for this meeting below, and details of how you can join the Zoom meeting will be sent to you.
If you are unable to attend but are interested in being involved in future meetings or actions, you can sign up to our Securitisation of Health mailing list or email reemabuhayyeh@medact.org
[Registration has now closed]

Medact Brighton Meeting
2020-08-10 19:00 - 20:30
Join us at 7pm on Monday 10th August – we will be meeting online and discussing how to continue our local work after taking a break since March.
Email brighton@medact.org for the zoom link.

Medact East Midlands: Meeting
2020-08-11 19:00 - 20:00
Our East Midlands Local Group will be meeting online on Tuesday 11th August at 7pm.
If you would like further information on how to join the meeting please email Medact’s movement builder Becky.

Medact Sheffield: Meeting
2020-08-11 19:30 - 21:00
Our Sheffield Group will be meeting online on Tuesday 11th August at 7:30pm.
For details on how to join the online meeting, please email sheffield@medact.org

Making effective Freedom of Information Requests
2020-08-12 18:30 - 20:00
Government and other public bodies often hide their activities behind a wall of secrecy. This session will offer practical advice on how to penetrate these walls, extract information and increase transparency using a key investigative research technique.

Our Research Manager will provide you with the know-how to make effective Freedom of Information requests, which can form a useful part of many campaigns for social justice. The session will be suitable for people who have never made an FOI request before and those who have done but would like to improve their skills.

The workshop will include:

What information the the FOI Act entitles you to, and from whom

The ways public bodies are legally obliged to help you find information

How to draft an effective request and avoid cost exemptions

How to appeal against unjustified disclosure refusals, including arguing the public interest case

We are now oversubscribed, but you can register your interest below to be added to the waiting list and we will let you know if a space becomes available.

[Registration has now closed]

Urgent meeting ─ organising against the end of the eviction ban
2020-08-13 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
On the 24th of August the eviction ban will be lifted. This will have some serious repercussions on housing insecurity that translate to risks of COVID19 transmission and wider public health impact from the loss of housing or potential homelessness.

Planning and organising for the following actions will take up the bulk of the meeting:

Securing signatures from Royal colleges and other health institutions on the keeping the eviction ban
Promoting our planned webinar on housing insecurity and homelessness during COVID19
Taking action on the day of the 24th with other health workers and renters to educate, inform and pressure the government to not lift the eviction ban

[Registration has now closed]

Action Call: Housing & public health ─ the eviction crisis in the time of COVID-19
2020-08-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
The government plans to lift its eviction ban for rental tenants on 24th August. The ensuing wave of evictions will have dire consequences for housing security and overall public health.
Housing is a key determinant of health. During this pandemic we have seen the systemic effects of insecure housing from its most acute expression in increasing homelessness to the widespread difficulty for those on low/furlough wages to meet exorbitant housing costs ─ often being forced to make trade-offs between paying rent or feeding themselves.
A collaboration between London Renters Union, Medact and Pathways, this action call will give a glimpse into the interconnected issues of housing justice and health equity.
We will cover:

population health effects of insecure housing on COVID-19 and general public health
the situation facing those experiencing homelessness
legal rights and strategies to protect people facing housing insecurity and evictions during this public health crisis

Join us to find out what you can do to help.

[Registration has now closed]

Medact Sheffield: Meeting
2020-09-01 19:30 - 20:30
Medact Sheffield will be meeting on Tuesday 1st September at 7:30pm.
Please email the Medact Sheffield Co-ordinators at sheffield@medact.org for information about how to join the meeting.

Prevent duty in NHS ─ September planning meeting
2020-09-07 18:30 - 20:00
We are having our third meeting to discuss the different ways that the health community can take collective action on issues related to the Prevent counter-extremism policy in healthcare.

The meeting will take place online on Monday 7 September from 6:30-8:00pm.

You must register for this meeting below, and details of how you can join the Zoom meeting will be sent to you.

If you are unable to attend but are interested in being involved in future meetings or actions, you can sign up to our Securitisation of Health mailing list or email reemabuhayyeh@medact.org

Our main priority is that as much as possible, health workers, patients and others impacted by Prevent who may attend this event feel safe both professionally and personally participating in Medact’s activities. As such, we ask that if you work in Prevent, the police or the Home Office, that you do not register to attend this event.

For any queries or for further discussion on this, please e-mail reemabuhayyeh@medact.org

[Registration has now closed]

Medact East Midlands ─ September Group Meeting
2020-09-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
The East Midlands group are meeting on Wednesday 9th September 7-8:30pm on Zoom.
Rob from the Medact staff team will be running the session as a start to our climate and health campaign.
[Registration has now closed]

Climate & Health Group - September Meeting
2020-09-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom
Join us for the September big meeting of the Medact Climate & Health Group on Thursday, 10th September at 6.30pm as we discuss and build plans to take action this Autumn.
Register your place for the meeting below to receive joining details. These will be sent out on the day.

AGM 2020
2020-09-12 11:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Our 2020 AGM will take place online (on Zoom) on Saturday 12th September, 11am – 1pm. We are sorry to not be able to organise the usual weekend get-together, but hope holding the meeting online will enable easy participation for members from across the UK.

The meeting will feature:

a chance to hear a summary of work over the past year

consideration and approval of our annual accounts

Trustee elections

motions from members

All are welcome, though only members are eligible to vote on motions and Trustee elections.

Please RSVP to receive a copy of final papers for the meeting, and details of how to join the call.

[Registration has now closed]

The deadline for submitting motions or Trustee candidates has now passed.

Motions

‘That Medact should investigate the risks and benefits of civil nuclear power, noting its clear links with the military industry, and produce a briefing to be used as the basis for consultation with the membership, and bring a proposal for policy to be discussed at the AGM in 2021.’

Proposed: Frank Boulton

Seconded: Elizabeth Waterston

‘That the Board undertakes a review of the Memorandum and Articles to ensure they are appropriate for the organisation that Medact has become and to present these for approval at the next AGM.’

Proposed: Medact Board

Trustee elections

Two Trustees who have served as co-opted Trustees over the last year will be standing for election for a three-year term:

Anne Schulthess is the Marketing manager at the International Institute for Environment and Development. She holds an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and prior to joining the communications team at IIED she spent several years as a campaigner at the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and as a programme manager at the stop-smoking charity, QUIT. She is particularly interested in communicating the linkages between climate change, biodiversity loss and global health, and is trying to be a better intersectional feminist and listener to the experiences of people in the global South.

Lisa Murphy works at the NHSX Centre of Expertise, establishing fair value data partnerships for the health service and ensuring ethical technology development. She previously worked as a junior doctor and in Public Health England – developing a passion for addressing health and social inequity through community centred action. This has translated into working with the Medact Migrant Solidarity Group to and drive research and interventions on healthcare exclusion, as well as coordinating campaigns on the intersection of human rights and the use of technology.

Two Trustee who have served a first three-year term on the Board will be standing for re-election, for a second three-year term:

Jeremy Wight is a ‘retired’ public health doctor, having worked in hospitals in Derby and Sheffield, before specialising in public health. He was Director of Public Health for Sheffield from 2006 to 2015, and subsequently worked for the National Institute of Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE). In addition to being a Medact Trustee, he is also a Trustee of Hope for the Future, and chairs Hope Valley Climate Action, as well as being a non-executive director at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital. He lives in the Hope Valley, in the Derbyshire Peak District, and spends as much of his spare time out of doors as possible.

Jonathan Monk-Cunliffe is a medical doctor training in psychiatry. He holds a masters degree in public health and a postgraduate certificate in medical education, reflecting his interest in both topics. He is currently an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow, combining clinical work with research into the physical health of people with mental illness. Jonathan has a longstanding interest in social justice and health equity. As a student, he was involved with Students for Global Health (formerly Medsin), and helped to organise their national conference on health inequalities. He recently helped to re-establish the Medact Sheffield group, starting a Patients Not Passports campaign on access to healthcare. Having now moved to the South West he is keen to continue this work, as well as dragging his bike up some of the local hills.

Medact Yorkshire: Meeting
2020-09-16 18:30 - 19:30
Our Yorkshire Group will be meeting online on Wednesday 16th September, 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
If you would like to join the meeting please email yorkshire@medact.org

Medact London: Meeting
2020-09-23 18:30 - 20:00
Our London Group will be meeting online on Wednesday 23rd September at 6:30pm. They will be working on building a campaign tackling food insecurity, aiming to tackle the underlying causes of the vital issue of food poverty.
If you are interested in joining the meeting please email london@medact.org

Monthly Economic Justice Issue meeting: Housing & Income insecurity
2020-09-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom
The eviction ban is set to end soon, and the furlough scheme will be ending on the 31st of October. Housing and Income insecurity have been the faultines that have exacerbated the unequal impact of the coronavirus pandemic. They are also barriers in preventing isolating measures working, as many are afraid to lose income and their livelihoods if they have to self isolate or take time off work.

The public health response must address underlying economic determinants of health if peoples wellbeing is to be protected and improved, especially as the economic crisis deepens, further entrenching inequalities that have been the lead cause of ill health and suffering.

At this meeting you will hear from other members who have been working on an evidence report on these issues, actions that we can take to prevent the harm caused and plan for a collective public health response that address the dual risks of the pandemic & the economic recession.

Please RSVP for joining details.

[Registration has now closed]

Fridays for Future ─ online action in solidarity with the climate strikers
2020-09-25
One year ago, members of the health community mobilised to show solidarity with the Youth Climate Strikers taking action for the Global Climate Strike. As thousands of young people all over the world took action for climate justice, health workers stood with them, knowing the extent of the public health crisis posed by climate breakdown.
This year, on Friday 25th September, Fridays for Future, the international group representing the climate strikers, has called for another global day of action. They will be calling for a just and green recovery from Covid-19 that sets us on the right path to tackling the climate crisis.
On the 25th, Medact, in partnership with Health Declares and Students for Global Health, will be coordinating an online action for members of the health community to show support for the climate strikers remotely. RSVP now to join us!
[Registration has now closed]

Migrant Solidarity Group: Meeting
2020-10-01 18:30 - 20:00
Our Migrant Solidarity Group will be meeting on Thursday 1st October at 18:30.
To find out how to join the online meeting please email migrantsolidarity@medact.org

A Green New Deal for Scotland ─ how do we mobilise the health community?
2020-10-05 18:30 - 19:45
At the start of September, Nichola Sturgeon sparked excitement when she announced proposals to introduce a green jobs guarantee. However, despite the rhetoric, the Scottish government is yet to fully commit with concrete details of what this guarantee will mean.
As we build back from Covid-19, we have the chance to create a fairer and greener society that prioritises health and wellbeing.
In the run up to next year’s COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland has the opportunity to set an example to the world by investing in a transformative Green New Deal.
As health workers and students, we have a vital role to play in putting pressure on Holyrood to bring about the changes we need to safeguard public health and end the climate crisis.
Join us for this interactive session as we begin creating a plan to mobilise the health community in Scotland for a Green New Deal.
[Registration has now closed]

Prevent duty in NHS ─ October planning meeting
2020-10-06 18:30 - 20:00
We are having our monthly meeting to discuss the different ways that the health community can take collective action on issues related to the Prevent counter-extremism policy in healthcare.
The meeting will take place online on Tuesday 6th October from 6:30-8pm.
You must register for this meeting below, and details of how you can join the meeting will be sent to you.
If you are unable to attend but are interested in being involved in future meetings or actions, you can sign up to our Securitisation of Health mailing list.
Our main priority is that as much as possible, health workers, patients and others impacted by Prevent who may attend this event feel safe both professionally and personally participating in Medact’s activities. As such, we ask that if you work in Prevent, the police or the Home Office, that you do not register to attend this event.
For any queries or for further discussion on this, please e-mail reemabuhayyeh@medact.org
[Registration has now closed]

Climate & Health Group - October Meeting
2020-10-08 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom
Join us for the October big meeting of the Medact Climate & Health Group on Thursday, 8th October at 6.30pm as we discuss and build plans to take action this Autumn.

Register your place for the meeting below to receive joining details. These will be sent out on the day.

[Registration has now closed]

Making effective Freedom of Information Requests [repeat]
2020-10-13 18:30 - 20:00
Due to the popularity and success of our first FOI training in August, we are organising this repeat session on 13th October.
Government and other public bodies often hide their activities behind a wall of secrecy. This session will offer practical advice on how to penetrate these walls, extract information and increase transparency using a key investigative research technique.
Our Research Manager will provide you with the know-how to make effective Freedom of Information requests, which can form a useful part of many campaigns for social justice. The session will be suitable for people who have never made an FOI request before and those who have done but would like to improve their skills.
The workshop will include:

What information the the FOI Act entitles you to, and from whom
The ways public bodies are legally obliged to help you find information
How to draft an effective request and avoid cost exemptions
How to appeal against unjustified disclosure refusals, including arguing the public interest case

We are now oversubscribed, but you can register your interest below to be added to the waiting list and we will let you know if a space becomes available
[Registration has now closed]

East Midlands Group: Meeting
2020-10-13 19:00 - 20:30
Our East Midlands Group will be meeting on Tuesday 13 October 7:00pm – 8:30pm, to decide which intervention to target as part of their new climate and health campaign.
Everybody is welcome to join and work with this new and up-coming group! To find out how to join please email eastmidlands@medact.org

Medact Bristol: Patients Not Passports Meeting
2020-10-17 11:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Join the next Medact Bristol meeting on Saturday 17th October.
James Skinner and Aliya Yule from the national Patients Not Passports Campaign will support us to learn about government charging policies and to think about local campaigning and actions we can take to advocate against charging migrants for NHS care.
The session will run from 11am-3pm (don’t worry if you can’t join for all that time).
[Registration has now closed]

Planning Session ─ Health for a Green New Deal Scotland
2020-10-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
At the start of September, the Scottish government announced some commitments to investing in a green recovery. While this announcement was welcome, it was just a first step. The Scottish government now needs to turn its words into action and ramp up its plans for creating green jobs and infrastructure.
Between 4th-11th November, Friends of the Earth Scotland are organising a week of action, including a virtual lobby of MSPs, calling on Holyrood to implement a just & green recovery from Covid-19.
Join us for our planning session to get involved in building a plan to mobilise the health community for a Green New Deal in Scotland!
[Registration has now closed]
