BMA launches campaign to save the National 'Elf Service
The BMA has launched a Christmas campaign against the health bill, with a satirical cartoon featuring Santa's Present Delivery Service undergoing ‘major reform'.
After switching its stance to oppose the health bill in its entirety last month, the BMA has launched this ‘seasonal take on the chaos being caused by the Government's NHS reforms in England'.
The BMA's cartoon depicts Santa's grotto in a state of disarray with the caption: ‘Reform of the national elf service was causing chaos in Santa's present delivery department'. It reads: ‘With ‘any qualified providers' cherry-picking parts of his present delivery service, Santa is left confused about who is responsible for what.'
Another cartoon invites readers to come up with their own captions with the chance to win £50 worth of John Lewis vouchers and for supporters to retweet the BMA's ‘NHS Christmas wishes'.
After a week, the BMA's campaign page indicates that four people have retweeted a wish that doctors will plan care, 11 a roll-back on the ‘obsession with market', while 10 people have retweeted: ‘I wish the Government would abandon its Health and Social Care Bill'. However a BMA spokesperson said the actual level of online engagement was believed to be higher, and as the campaign is yet to be emailed to members this represented a 'good start'.
The campaign comes just days after Pulse awarded the BMA the Che Guevara award for revolutionary activity for its attempt, this autumn, to block the largest NHS reforms in history with a ‘Twitter storm'.
