£67 million NHS scheme "a waste of time and money"
The NHS is paying millions to firms such as Boots, Tesco and Asda for these reviews. The Government should act to reduce the cost of MURs rather than continuing with a system that encourages national chains to try and squeeze as much money out of taxpayers as possible, to pay for reviews that most doctors don’t think represent good value.
We're all paying a lot of tax
Despite the fact that everyone is paying a fortune in tax, the Government is still running a huge deficit. Cuts in spending are needed to fix the public finances so that everyone can keep a little more of their own money and spend it supporting their own families and their own causes. 
Grassroots
Activists in Grantham will be out on the streets, protesting about this increase next weekend. If you would like to join in please meet in the Market Place in Grantham on Saturday 28 April at 11:00 am to help collect signatures for a petition calling on the Government to scrap its proposed rise and to commit to further reductions. If you would like to come along, please get in touch with National Grassroots Coordinator, Andrew Allison.
Best of the blogs
On the New Statesman blog, TPA Director Matthew Sinclair makes the point that simple taxes are progressive taxes, while over at The Commentator, Dominique Lazanski argues that the government continues to suffer from a fundamental lack of understanding of the web issues that face the UK today.
Finally, there's an update to non-job of the week, as a council re-advertises for a Healthy Weight Coordinator and a Physical Activity Coordinator.
Friday, 20 April 2012
In a new report we have strongly criticised the £67 million subsidy given to pharmacists by the NHS for Medicine Use Reviews (MUR). Pharmacists are paid £28 for each review, during which they discuss the various medication taken by patients in an effort to spot overlaps and interactions. This is meant to cut down on wasted drugs but GPs have questioned the effectiveness and value, saying Medicine Use Reviews are, "by and large, viewed as a waste of time and money”.
Following controversial Government proposals to cap loss relief and limit the tax-free status of charitable giving, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published some incredibly interesting income data in an attempt to justify the plans. TPA Director Matthew Sinclair was able to use this data to create the fascinating graph below. As well as showing just who is paying what proportion of income taxes, the data makes clear something we all probably felt was true: the rich, the poor and the middle all pay a lot of tax.
Success in Yeovil
Last Saturday supporters campaigned against rising car parking charges in Yeovil town centre. Even before the action day took place we had had an impact as South Somerset District Council made an announcement that it was backing down on introducing charges on evenings and Sundays. With around 20 per cent of shops vacant in Yeovil, traders need the council to lower fees to encourage shoppers to visit. Scrapping the additional charges is a great start, however the fight continues - and not only in Yeovil. If you would like to help us at future events, please contact National Grassroots Coordinator, Andrew Allison.
Grantham action day
In the Budget, George Osborne confirmed his intention to increase Fuel Duty by 3p a litre in August. At a time of rising fuel prices and excessive motoring taxes, the last thing we need is the Chancellor making life even more difficult for drivers. He should have cut Fuel Duty, rather than increase it. Despite being set nationally, motoring taxes affect drivers in each local authority area very differently. This report shows how those in Grantham are affected differently to those in, for example, a London borough like Westminster.
What: Grantham action day
Where: Near the Market Cross, Market Place, Grantham
When: 11:00 am, Saturday 28 April
Reporting back from our Yeovil action day, Tim Newark explains how we've already had an impact, while Andrew Allison exposes the council sneaking in fortnightly bin collections despite residents asking for more a frequent service.
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