There is no secrecy and nothing in Labour party rules to prevent it from seeking advice from non-party members (Labour health advisers angered by John McDonnell’s parallel group, 30 June). I am a recently retired consultant paediatrician and director of children’s services in Lewisham when Jeremy Hunt tried to close our hospital. I am a member of no party. Dr Louise Irvine, a GP and chair of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign, who stood against Hunt at the 2015 election, probably did more for the NHS than any other candidate by making a principled defence of a publicly funded and provided, and accountable NHS.
Keep Our NHS Public is part of an effort to build a broad consensus to win back a national health service and which helped establish Health Campaigns Together. Following a meeting at the House of Commons in April with the then shadow health secretary, Heidi Alexander, John McDonnell and their teams, our request for an ongoing conversation was agreed by them. Full minutes, including a paper I myself authored about this planned forum, are on the HCT website. So where is the secrecy? At a time when the NHS is being deliberately underfunded and contracts worth over £10bn have gone to private companies since 2010, it is important that the Labour party leads the fightback. There is nothing undemocratic in offering an array of talent from health policy, journalism, clinicians, patient experience and law to the shadow team. Who is trying to undermine such a worthwhile initiative and to use it to undermine the elected leadership?
Dr Tony O’Sullivan
Co-chair, Keep Our NHS Public and member of HCT
