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The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Jean Robinson obituary
Described as 'a troublemaker of the very best kind', the health activist Jean Robinson, who has died aged 95, championed the rights of patients, pregnant women and disadvantaged people for more than 50 years. She was chair of the Patients' Association, president of Aims (the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services) and a lay member and outspoken critic of the doctors' regulatory body the General Medical Council. In 1988 she wrote the explosive booklet A Patient Voice at the GMC, laying bare its inadequacies and contributing to its reform. Robinson's activist career took off in 1966, when, living in Oxford and looking after her young son, she was invited to become a lay member of the regional health board. She was not prepared to be a rubber stamp appointment and said the board statistician nearly fell off his chair when 'the token housewife' came to his office with detailed questions about perinatal mortality rates. Robinson always worked in a voluntary capacity and had no clinical or social care background. But that gave her independence to scrutinise healthcare decisions and champion patients. She said: 'I am always concerned about people who think they can make decisions about other people's lives. In politics we have had a degree of democracy, whereas in education, medicine and healthcare we have not had any power from the bottom.' She was passionately keen to educate herself about the workings of the regional health board. Armed with a medical dictionary and library card, she read voraciously, scrutinising even the driest hospital management circular. Condescending officialdom infuriated her and the more she found out about how healthcare was run in her patch, the more she felt obliged to speak out, calling out, for example, the way children living with Down's syndrome were closeted away in an old-fashioned asylum. She was not afraid to antagonise colleagues. In fact, in 1973 Richard Crossman, the Labour secretary of state for health, asked to meet her, saying: 'I've never in all my public life seen so much pressure to get rid of anyone. They absolutely hate you.' They had a good exchange and Crossman did not sack Robinson, but as she had been on the health board for seven years she decided to leave and take up a new challenge. She then joined the Patients' Association, which had been set up in the wake of the thalidomide scandal. The founder wanted to retire, so Robinson became its chair. She spent the next three years answering hundreds of complaints each week from the public. Many were from new mothers. Robinson said: 'Letters about birth leapt off the page.' In the 1970s, 60% of women were given an oxytocin drip to induce labour, which caused severe and sudden contractions. It could be very traumatic, inducing a form of shell shock. Robinson set out to study the research underpinning this practice. She found one main study, carried out in Glasgow, was on far too small a sample. The researchers wanted to see if inducing births could reduce the rate of stillbirth and gave oxytocin to 100 women, comparing them with others receiving standard care. However, the rate of stillbirth at this time in Glasgow was three in 1,000, so such a small study could not prove anything. Robinson wrote to the Lancet medical journal pointing out this, along with many other flaws. To sceptical detractors who thought her letter was drafted by an obstetrician, Robinson retorted: 'No doctor has written it for me. All I needed was a Bodleian reader's card and letters from 400 women who have had induced labour.' When young widows had a higher risk of cervical cancer, it was presumed it was because they swiftly took new sexual partners. But Robinson posed the question 'Who gets widowed early?' It was often wives of men in occupations such as construction, mining or asbestos, and as she pointed out, women's exposure to carcinogenic chemicals could have played a part. In 1975, when her term as chair of the association ended, Robinson joined Aims as its honorary research officer. It was a role she said fitted her like a glove, combining taking calls on the helpline with writing summaries of the latest obstetric research in plain English for its quarterly journal. Listening to distraught new mothers on the phone every day opened her eyes to mental health issues. She persuaded the Department of Health to recognise suicide as a key cause of maternal death and the letter she wrote with Beverley Beech in 1987 to the British Journal of Psychiatry about nightmares after childbirth is credited in medical literature as the first identification of postnatal PTSD. Robinson also challenged routine episiotomies and championed women threatened with removal of their babies, exposing the fact that social services had targets to increase adoptions. In 1979 Robinson was appointed a lay member of the General Medical Council, where she heard cases on the professional conduct committee. She was shocked that the public were so poorly served. For example, GMC rules allowed only eight weeks to complain about a GP, starting from the event, not from the time the person was aware of a problem. If a woman with a breast lump was not examined properly by her GP, for example, it might take her months to realise the lump was growing, by which time the deadline would have expired. In 1988 Robinson wrote A Patient Voice at the GMC, described as 'a remarkable insider's account'. It detailed all the problems, explaining why three-quarters of complaints submitted were not even heard. Meeting her, the Conservative secretary of state for health Kenneth Clarke said the booklet was rather critical and winked: 'I'm not opposed to that.' The booklet fuelled a growing clamour for change. Pressure from politicians, the British Medical Journal and others, as well as events such as the Bristol heart scandal in the 1990s, eventually brought about major changes at the GMC. She was born in Southwark, London, the second of three children of Charles Lynch, a clerk at Tate and Lyle, and Ellen (nee Penfold). When the second world war broke out in 1939, Jean and her two brothers were evacuated to Somerset, and 18 months later to Cornwall. When she returned to London in 1945, her parents urged her to do a secretarial course so she might get a white-collar job. While she was on the course, she joined the Labour League of Youth, much to the disappointment of her working-class Tory parents. But, she said: 'From the earliest age I was interested in people being less privileged and that something should be done about it.' She got a job at the Daily Herald, a national Labour newspaper, and then became secretary to the MP Geoffrey de Freitas, who encouraged her, aged 23, to apply to Ruskin College in Oxford to do a two-year diploma in politics, history and economics. She savoured the chance to learn. Entering the Bodleian library for the first time, she said: 'I felt overwhelmed with riches. If you'd put me in a room full of jewels, it could not have matched what I felt.' Halfway through the course, she spent a year as an exchange student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, where she studied American politics. While at Ruskin College, she met the labour market economist Derek Robinson, whom she married in 1956. The couple adopted Toby in 1965, had a daughter Lucy four years later, and made their home in Oxford. She got a secretarial job at the market research company Nielsen, which led to work with the Oxford Consumers Group. However, she discovered job opportunities in Oxford were scarce and volunteering could be the route to much more interesting work, so in 1966 she agreed to be a lay member of the regional health board. As well as her work at the GMC, Robinson remained involved with Aims, and was elected its president in 2010, retiring only in 2018. From 1995 to 2006 she wrote a column for the British Journal of Midwifery, giving midwives an insight into issues from a user's perspective, and in 1997 she was made a visiting professor at Ulster University, giving lectures on medical ethics. She was also a trustee of a women's refuge in Oxford. Derek died in 2014. Robinson is survived by Toby and Lucy, four grandchildren, Al, Sean, Stevie and Vegas, and two great-grandchildren, Cassius and Vida. Jean Robinson, medical activist, born 17 April 1930; died 4 June 2025
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Why Wes Streeting thinks the private sector could help NHS
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would consider a greater role for the private sector in the NHS to tackle waiting lists, which currently affect 7.39 million people. Streeting stated he would not be bound by 'outdated ideological battles' and that it would be 'foolish to turn away' from private healthcare, emphasising that treatment remains free at the point of use. He argued that utilising private sector capacity does not contradict NHS principles and is essential to provide timely care, drawing from his personal experience with cancer treatment. His comments are expected to spark controversy among Labour MPs on the left, with concerns about expanding the private sector's role in healthcare. The government stated that previous partnerships with the private sector have delivered more than 500,000 treatments, and the Patients Association welcomed the potential for increased private sector involvement to address the NHS backlog.
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Health secretary urges no strikes as ballot of UK junior doctors begins
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, has urged doctors to vote against industrial action as the British Medical Association (BMA) ballots resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, for strike action that could last for six months. Writing in the Times on Thursday, Streeting said: 'We can't afford to return to a continuous cycle of standoffs, strikes, and cancellations … Strikes should always be a last resort, and I don't think they are in anyone's interest today. 'I'm appealing to resident doctors to vote no in the ballot, and instead continue the progress we've made, working together to rebuild our NHS.' Resident doctors say their pay has declined by 23% in real terms since 2008. If they choose to go on strike, walkouts could begin in July and potentially last until January 2026. The government accepted salary recommendations from pay review bodies earlier this month, resulting in an average 5.4% rise for resident doctors. The Patients Association said it was 'deeply concerned' about the prospect of strike action over the busy winter period in the NHS. Previous strike action from doctors in training led to 1.3m appointments, procedures and operations being postponed, it said, with the true figure 'likely to be much higher'. BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt said in a statement: 'Patients are all too aware how much the NHS relies on its resident doctors. 'With the announcement of yesterday's ballot, many will understandably be concerned about how future strike action might affect them getting care but it's important to stress that strike action is not inevitable and can be avoided. 'The government has the power to honour its previous commitment to map out and restore doctors' pay, avoiding strikes entirely. We're confident that patients will recognise that the value of doctors has not diminished since 2008, but that working conditions and pay have. 'Wes Streeting must now step forward with a solution that allows us to stay with our patients, off the picket lines, and remain in this country rather than being driven to seek work abroad where doctors' unique skills and expertise are more appropriately valued. As the population ages and care becomes more complex, we need to make sure we retain doctors in the UK.' Streeting stressed that 'we can't lose momentum', adding: 'There's so much more to do. But my message to anyone working in the health service is this: Stick with us. 'The NHS was broken, but it's not beaten. If we keep pulling together, we can turn it around.' With PA Media
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Public is fed up of striking medics and support for a future walk out of junior doctors over pay plummets after last year's bumper wage rises
Militant resident doctors have lost public support for strikes after pocketing inflation-busting pay-rises, a survey reveals. The medics, previously known as junior doctors, are demanding a further 30 per cent uplift despite seeing their wages jump by 22.3 per cent last year. They have crippled the NHS by taking industrial action 11 times since 2022, forcing health bosses to cancel an estimated 1.5million appointments. But the British Medical Association is now threatening further walkouts unless health secretary Wes Streeting caves in again. It comes as a new YouGov poll of 4,100 British adults found half (48 per cent) oppose the industrial action, while 39 per cent support it. The pollsters said this 'marks a shift in opinion' since last summer, when the majority of the public (52 per cent) backed the medics. It highlighted how Labour supporters are most supportive of strike action, with Conservatives expressing the strongest opposition. The Patients Association said it is 'deeply concerned' about the prospect of further walkouts. It added: 'Strike action causes significant distress, pain and worsening health for patients, while placing additional pressure on remaining NHS staff. 'This comes at a time when public confidence in the NHS is already fragile. 'The latest British Social Attitudes survey reveals that just over 1 in 5 (21 per cent) of British adults are satisfied with the way the NHS runs, the lowest level since records began. 'Further disruption risks damaging public confidence even more.' Former Conservative health minister Edwina Currie today told Times Radio the co-chairs of the BMA's resident doctors' committee 'are not the kind of people you would want to be telling you that you've got cancer'. She added: 'I don't think you can give in to them. I really don't. 'I don't think the government should have given in to them last summer because, if you give in to strikers, all you're doing is inviting more strikes, which is exactly where we're at. 'They are amongst the best paid public servants in the country. They don't get quite as much as the consultants who are all on over a hundred thousand a year, but they are on seriously good money. 'And if all they're interested in is putting patients in pain, particularly older people; if all they're interested in doing is putting patients in pain so they can put more money in their pocket, they are the wrong people to be doctors.' Ministers announced last week that most doctors would receive a 4 per cent pay rise, with resident doctors given an extra £750 on top - equivalent to an average of 5.4 per cent. It means resident doctors have seen their pay jump by 28.9 per cent in just three years. Meanwhile, other NHS workers in England, including nurses, midwives and physiotherapists, will receive just a 3.6 per cent pay increase, effective from April 1. The BMA opened a ballot this week, urging resident doctors to support up to six months of strikes from this July to January next year. Tory MP Edward Argar, the party's shadow health and social care secretary, told the Mail: 'We warned Labour that giving in to union demands on above-inflation pay rises with no strings attached last year would only see them coming back for more. 'Now we see the threat of a summer of discontent and a summer of strikes at risk of becoming a reality.' Resident doctors said their pay has declined by '23 per cent in real terms since 2008'. Mr Streeting said on Tuesday: 'I understand the anxiety and anger that resident doctors have felt and continue to feel about their part of the profession – over 14 years, they saw the NHS that they were working in slide into crisis. 'That's why, within weeks of coming into office, I was determined to resolve the pay dispute and give resident doctors a substantial pay rise.' Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, co-chairs of the BMA resident doctors committee, said in a statement: 'Patients are all too aware how much the NHS relies on its resident doctors. 'With the announcement of yesterday's ballot, many will understandably be concerned about how future strike action might affect them getting care but it's important to stress that strike action is not inevitable and can be avoided. 'The Government has the power to honour its previous commitment to map out and restore doctors' pay, avoiding strikes entirely. 'We're confident that patients will recognise that the value of doctors has not diminished since 2008, but that working conditions and pay have. 'Wes Streeting must now step forward with a solution that allows us to stay with our patients, off the picket lines, and remain in this country rather than being driven to seek work abroad where doctors' unique skills and expertise are more appropriately valued. 'As the population ages and care becomes more complex, we need to make sure we retain doctors in the UK.'
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Shift in public support for striking doctors
Almost half of of the British public oppose resident doctors going on strike, a new poll suggests. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, in England are being balloted for strike action by the British Medical Association (BMA). If they choose to strike then walk outs could last for six months. A new poll of 4,100 British adults by YouGov found that 48% of Britons oppose resident doctors going on strike, while 39% support them taking action. YouGov said this 'marks a shift in opinion' of public support of striking junior doctors last summer, when the majority of Britons – 52% – said they supported it. It highlighted how Labour supporters were most supportive of strike action, with Conservatives expressing the strongest opposition. Resident doctors said their pay has declined by '23% in real terms since 2008'. If they choose to go on strike then walk outs could begin in July and could potentially last until January 2026. A leading patients' organisation said it was 'deeply concerned' about the prospect of strike action over the busy winter period in the NHS. The Patients Association highlighted how previous strike action from doctors in training led to 1.3 million appointments, procedures and operations being postponed, with the true figure 'likely to be much higher'. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Tuesday: 'I understand the anxiety and anger that resident doctors have felt and continue to feel about their part of the profession – over 14 years, they saw the NHS that they were working in slide into crisis. 'That's why, within weeks of coming into office, I was determined to resolve the pay dispute and give resident doctors a substantial pay rise. That's now being followed by another above-inflation average pay award of 5.4%. 'The result is that resident doctors have seen their pay increase by 28.9% compared to three years ago. The average starting salary of a full-time resident doctor is now around £38,800 – up nearly £9,500 since 2022/23. 'I want to work in partnership with resident doctors to deliver the change that the NHS is crying out for.' The ballot will close on July 7.
