VIEWPOINT FOR 15.10.09 
FROM DR RICHARD TAYLOR

The Millbrook Suite Appeal, supported so effectively by the Shuttle, has passed the £100,000 mark long before I thought it would. 
A recent welcome donation was £400 from a charity dinner which I attended at Peppers Restaurant in Stourport.
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Last Friday saw the opening of the 22^nd Bewdley Festival where again this year the programme has something for everyone. 
I went to the opening event at the Ramada Hotel and was blown away by the virtuosity of all the musicians in Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen who introduced and then accompanied Paul Jones, the main star of the evening. Many will remember him for his performances with Manfred Mann in the 1960s. After over 45 years of performing he is still at the top of his profession both vocally and on the harmonica. It was an inspirational opening to the Festival crowned by enthusiastic audience participation with his original hits, 'Pretty Flamingo' and 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy'.
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On Saturday I went to Music for You in Kidderminster Town Hall, another regular autumn event since 1982. 
This charity concert started raising money for the Hospital League of Friends but more recently, while continuing to support the League it has added other charities which this year were Kemp Hospice, Cancer Research UK and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. It was again an exciting and varied programme performed by local stars.
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I returned to London on Monday when the business after ministerial questions was the Report Stage and Third Reading of the Health Bill.

Statements reduced the time available for debate to just over four hours. Some of the amendments selected by Mr. Speaker covered De-authorisation of foundation trusts, Private patient income, Tobacco, and the NHS Constitution. 

I had an amendment in to the NHS Constitution and in the limited time available I felt sure it would not be reached as it was in the last group chosen. 
..The first group about foundation trusts took over an hour as it related to the disasters in the hospital trust in Stafford . 
..The amendments relating to tobacco use centred on point-of-sale advertising and vending machines, aiming to reduce the number of very young people who start to smoke. 

The debate polarised into those defending freedom of choice and doubting the viability of small village stores against those primarily interested in the health of young people in their later lives. 
The health arguments won for me and I was relieved that we were assured that the necessary, easily open-able shutters for 'corner shop' displays would not cost thousands but about £450 which, perhaps, tobacco manufacturers would contribute towards.

We reached the group of amendments including mine about eight minutes before time for debate ran out so I had less than a minute to propose that in view of the Stafford disaster and the recently reported deaths in the NHS due to treatment errors, the NHS Constitution should place a duty on all NHS staff to report their concerns about untoward events and instances of unsafe or poor quality care with protection for whistle blowers. 

My message was understood by the minister responding and I will continue to press for this at every opportunity.

RT

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