Today's Society Guardian news and comment
Routine operations being withheld by NHS trusts to cut costs, say surgeons
Loss of confidence in WHO over swine flu could endanger lives
MPs warn against cuts to Sure Start programme
Mephedrone reclassifaction faces delays as another advisor quits drugs committee
Tories hope Boris Johnson's 'brand image' will help in local elections
All todays Society Guardian stories
Other news
Whitehall is cutting funding of the Flexible New Deal scheme because of lower long-term unemployment forecasts, according to the Financial Times
Council tenants who sub-let their homes could face jail, reports the Times
What's in a name?
A social worker who blogs under the pseudonym Winston Smith has been longlisted for the George Orwell prize for political writing. Working with the Underclass charts his experiences as a support worker with teenagers in care and young adults in supported housing and contains sardonic, battle-weary reflections on his hapless and abusive clients, inane and cynical bureaucrats, and spineless colleagues in "Scallysville, Chavshire."
You know that feeling you get when you turn on the news or open a paper and think to yourself, is it just me or is the country gone mad? Well, I get that feeling all the time at work but I mostly bite my lip as to speak too freely wouldn't be conducive to receiving my paycheck at the end of the month. Hence, the writing of this blog.
Your views: does the benefits system classify the seriously ill as 'fit for work'?
Thousands of Society Guardian online users read Amelia Gentleman's story last week on a Citizens Advice Bureau report on apparent flaws in the benefits system which mean seriously ill people are being registered as fit to work. Amelia blogs today on the responses to her story, and is keen to hear directly from people who have experience of the new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) testing system, and from medical professionals who administer it. Email: amelia.gentleman@guardian.co.uk.
Society Guardian blogs
Sarah Boseley's global health blog
Society Guardian events
National Commissioning conference 10. Beyond efficiencies, doing things differently, 15-16 June, Lowry Centre, Manchester. Speakers include: Solace chief executive David Clark, former Department of Health lead on social care personalisation John Bolton, new Kings Fund chief executive Chris Ham, and Social Care Institute for Excellence chief executive Julie Jones.
The Public Procurement show. The UK's leading event for public sector procurement, 15-16 June, ExceL, London
Society Guardian social enterprise summit
We are starting to plan this year's Society Guardian Social Enterprise Summit. Last year's summit was a great success - you can read about it here. Once again we are looking to showcase inspiration, innovation and practical ideas on how social enterprises can deliver public services. Whether you are from the public sector or from a social business, we want you to tell us who you'd like to see and what you think needs to be discussed. Email charmian.walker-smith@guardian.co.uk. You can follow Guardian Social Enterprise on Twitter here
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Email the Society Daily editor: Patrick.Butler@guardian.co.uk
Email the SocietyGuardian editor: society@guardian.co.uk
