13th July 2026

Starmer failed, Burnham must do better
The joint chairmen of Keep Our NHS Public say, “We need commitment to a publicly funded, provided and accountable NHS, not an ever-closer relationship with the parasitic private sector”. Burnham could rebuild trust “A new leadership can do better by offering a confident public service renewal agenda: rebuild trust, back staff, restore capacity and ethical standards”.

US/UK drug deal will cost 000s in excess deaths
Research in the British Medical Journal reveals that the diversion of billions of NHS funding to pay more for new drugs under the UK-US trade deal will harm public health and result in thousands of excess deaths. An opinion piece makes the same point “So here’s a test for Andy Burnham: is he really going to let this fatal deal, cooked up in private and shrouded in unforgivable secrecy, stand?”

Sheffield opposes Palantir contract
Sheffield City Council becomes the first local authority in England to approve a motion opposing Palantir’s NHS Federated Data Platform contract. The Telegraph says that Burnham will follow suit, but yet nobody else agrees, so don’t believe anything in the Telegraph.

Open letter to Burnham
“….Commit to rethinking the dangerous US-UK deal on pharmaceuticals, the new PFI arrangements for neighbourhood health centres, job cuts underway in hospitals across England, increases in the use of private providers in community diagnostics and other areas, and the Palantir FDP contract.”

NHS anaesthetist shortage
There are 16% fewer anaesthetists than needed, with a shortfall of 2,256 posts across the UK. Anaesthetists are quitting over stress and workload.