Just in case you don’t receive the update for the petition, see below;
After a call out to B12 deficient patients to sign and share this petition (https://www.change.org/p/ian-hudson-please-make-our-life-saving-injectable-vitamin-b12-hydroxocobalamin-available-over-the-counter?)to get us over the 10,000 signature threshold I am delighted that we have 11,341 supporters as I write this update.
Huge thanks to each and every one of you!
Your sharing of this petition does a fantastic job of raising awareness of B12 deficiency every day.
Steph Whiting, a B12 deficient patient struggling to access B12 injections, sent the petition link to her MP, Dennis Skinner. Dennis was completely unaware of this very common condition and the awful predicament of under treatment that UK patients face, so he signed to show his support.
I badger my local MP and MEP regularly, but more help is needed and if UK and international supporters could take the time to email or tweet we can really make a difference in moving this campaign forward!
May I suggest Tweeters use the following;
@DennisSkinnerMP has signed this injectable B12 OTC petition http://chn.ge/1phNgE6, will you? #B12 OTC petition
Please target at the very least, the MP’s listed below via Twitter. (Twitter names listed below for your convenience).
David Cameron – Prime Minister
Jeremy Hunt – Secretary of State for Health
Jeremy Corbyn – Leader of the Labour Party
Jane Ellison – Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health)
Luciana Berger MP – Shadow Minister for (mental Health)
UK Tweeters, please add your local MP and MEP to this list too.
You can find your MP’s contact details by using this tool;
and your MEP contact details here;- http://www.europarl.org.uk/en/your-meps.html
@jeremy_hunt
@david_cameron
@jeremycorbyn
@janeellisonmp
@lucianaberger
Please consider emailing too – there is a template at the bottom if you wish to use it, please add your own experience/reasons for asking for support. You may care for someone who is B12 deficient so this may need re wording for your particular situation.
UK supporters please contact all the above and your own MP and MEP
Please email;
Jeremy Hunt –
huntj@parliament.uk
Jeremy Corbyn –
corbynj@parliament.uk
Luciana Berger –
luciana.berger.mp@parliament.uk
Jane Ellison MP –
jane.ellison.mp@parliament.uk
David Cameron- sadly no direct email address exists publicly so there is a form to fill in here; http://www.witneyconservatives.com/contact
UK supporters – Perhaps you could give your local MP a call too?
Lets not restrict this campaign though – tweet, email or call anyone you can think of who may help to spread the word and make this happen.
Celebrities are powerful so let’s try to get them on board too!
Finally, when you receive your email replies please consider forwarding to me at tracey@www.b12deficiency.info
Again, huge thanks to all supporters – you are amazing!
Tracey witty
www.www.b12deficiency.info
EMAIL TEMPLATE
Dear *
Dennis Skinner MP, has signed this petition;
https://www.change.org/p/ian-hudson-please-make-our-life-saving-injectable-vitamin-b12-hydroxocobalamin-available-over-the-counter? in support of UK B12 deficient patients who are unable to buy their life saving, Injectable vitamin B12 OTC. We cannot absorb B12 from food so injections are essential for life.
Most countries around the world allow their citizens to buy this essential, harmless injectable vitamin without prescription, from pharmacies.
Due to out dated NICE Guidelines and GP’s (and other health care professionals) lack of knowledge of B12 deficiency, many patients are restricted to just four B12 injections per year, even though the body needs B12 every day! This level of treatment is clearly nowhere near enough to maintain health and consequently many patients remain mentally ill, bed bound, cognitively impaired, and unable to work or look after their children.
Please sign and show us your support;
If you have the time to watch even the first 5 minutes of this film;
You will see just how devastating the effects of B12 deficiency can be. It is an easily treated, serious neurological condition but patients are very often dismissed, neglected and labelled hypochondriacs.
Just imagine the health care savings if you can help to make this happen.
For more information on this very common neurological condition please see www.www.b12deficiency.info
Yours sincerely
I have recently experienced this struggle for myself, my GP thinks it’s a placebo and wants me on antidepressants which I don’t need. I just need the correct diagnosis and treatment as and when my body needs it not just every three months. Can you imagine treating a diabetic this way. My GP has not even told me I have PA (another GP has) yet I continually point out my blood test results raised MCV/MCH etc. I have malabsorption issues as well and recently my Vit D after 36+ weeks is finally at 52 (range being over 50) so she has now stopped prescribing Vit D. Crazy I know I have to fight every step of the way just to try and regain my health and I know I’m not alone.
Thanks for commenting Chris, it is such a ridiculous situation for patients when the treatment is so simple and inexpensive. Lets hope that some day we won’t be at the mercy of ignorant GP’s.