Greg shows that he can wear a flag with style.

What would Nye Bevan be thinking, if he could see a Labour government driving through a privatisation agenda into the heart of the National Health Service? Of course there's been a conflict between NHS and private profit ever since the birth of the NHS saw Bevan compromise with hospital doctors over private beds in NHS hospitals, and Bevan was always a 'realist' rather than an 'idealist'. But that didn't mean he did not have principles, something which today's crop of Labour ministers seem to be devoid of completely.

Kate McGregor, UNISON Convenor for the Leicester City Primary Care Trust, showing off a banner made by a medical secretary in our branch, especially for the day. Back home in Leicester, we know that the UHL have got their sights set on downgrading medical secretaries through the Admin and Clerical review's proposal of a typing pool for medical dictation. Just one of the many ways in which our NHS is under attack, and care is being compromised for cost-saving.

Leicestershire's branch banner, nestling in behind the national UNISON banner. Note how theirs is on wheels so the full time officers don't have to exert physical effort to carry it. I thought Dave Prentis and Keith Sonnett would be taking a pole each, but it never happened...

Behind the Leicestershire Health branch banner is the one we got made specially for last year's NHS demonstration in Leicester, which we always take on demonstrations now, to be carried jointly by health workers and community campaigners. 

Sterling work was done by John Hipwell (L) and Bill Greasley (R) who carried the banner pretty much all day, and managed to get it back on the coach in one piece afterwards. Not only that, but they got us a prime position right at the front of the march. Thanks, guys!

As well as those working in the NHS in Leicestershire we took down children, friends, patients and contingent from the Hinckley pensioners' group - stalwart marches in defence of all that needs defending. Rent-a-mob with neat hair and polite handshakes. Great, great people.

Here is my report to UNISON members in the East Midlands of the meeting I attended on Wednesday of the Health SGE.

It was an emergency meeting to discuss the pay campaign. Contrary to the report on the UNISON website we didn't agree to defer a decision on balloting - there was no proposal to initiate a ballot during July or August because of the difficulties in getting a decent campaign and turnout during the summer. It's an indication of how poorly organised the union is in health, I think, that we haven't moved any faster towards a ballot - if we had done, we could now be taking action alongside the postal workers.

National demonstration, in London, in defence of the NHS. Moved from 13 October in order that it could take place in Trafalgar Square.

The other day one of my teeth broke. It's not been hugely painful, but it does make it rather difficult to eat ice cream or drink tea, so it's a problem I need to fix.

So this morning I rang my dentist. Or, rather, I thought I did.

It turns out that because I've not needed to see the dentist for the past two years (that's a good thing, surely) then they've dropped me off their NHS list. They are not currently 'accepting' NHS patients, so I cannot re-register at that dental practice.

My choices? To register as a private patient ("oh yes, we're taking on private patients, when would you like to be seen?") or to find a different NHS dentist that covers my area, via NHS Direct.

The UNISON health SGE meeting yesterday - of which I will shortly post up a full report - heard a brief report from Bill Campbell about the current situation in the National Blood Service.

Bill reported that the unions in the NBS (UNISON and both sections of UNITE - TGWU and Amicus - have members in the NBS) were moving towards balloting their members for strike action against the proposed cuts and restructuring.

The NBS Board meets today, and union representatives are lobbying the board to protest against the cuts. Unless there's a positive reaction at the board meeting, Bill said, they would then be meeting UNISON's Industrial Action Committee to establish a timetable for a strike ballot.