Action to reduce the estimated £300 million pound annual waste of NHS funds

Just over two years ago a close relative contracted sepsis after giving birth to her first child. Last year my husband was diagnosed with cancer. On both occasions we suffered delays in diagnosis and less than satisfactory health care - the excuse is always a lack of resources, and the fact that a lot of the nursing staff were working 14 hour shifts did not help. Over the last year I have become aware of just how much is wasted daily by the NHS  - medication and equipment like mobility aids, scissors etc.  There are also regular stories of people with severe, life limiting illnesses being refused NHS funding for medication that could extend their life expectancy and improve the quality of their lives. This resulting in desperate families taking court action to force the NHS to provide this medication - a further drain on NHS in court fees not to mention extra trauma for an already severely ill patient and his/her family.  I have therefore started a petition to request the Health Secretary to commission a fresh, nationwide campaign to (1) educate the public on a more responsible and mindful approach to usage of prescription medicines (2) look into recycling of certain items of equipment and medication that will be accepted by overseas charities and Veterinary practices. Something as simple as checking the medication handed to you by the Chemist before leaving Pharmacy premises can help, because any wrongly dispensed items can be placed back on the shelf as long as they have not left the premises. This is the link to my petition and I am looking to gather sufficient support to be able to approach the Health Secretary with confidence as my first approach to the Department of Health was met with a dismissive response and my reply to that has been ignored. So please take a look and sign and share if you agree.

http://chng.it/PDLCHdQM

Any savings would help a cash strapped NHS and perhaps also benefit charities who help the vulnerable and needy. I am a retired Lawyer and an ordinary citizen who simply believes that together we can make a difference.