Jooly's Joint: people with MS supporting each other

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Beta Interferon campaign past action

Members of Jooly's Joint have joined forces with the UK MS Society on several occasions in 2000/1 to protest against the Government's refusal to listen to people with MS:

Jooly

Yell UK Web Awards 2000 Winner

11 July 2000: Jooly dedicated our UK Internet Award
to health ministers

"I would like to dedicate this award to two special men in my life - John Hutton and John Denham MPs, Ministers of State at the Dept of Health. John and John, you're in a very privileged position, every night tens of thousands of people with MS include you in their prayers. We are praying that God will grant you the grace to reverse the preliminary decision of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence to make the drug beta interferon unavailable on the NHS. I can't run Jooly's Joint if I am incapacitated. By denying us beta interferon you risk denying us rewarding, active and fulfilling lives. Please, please re-consider."

  • Wednesday 8 March 2000: We joined 1,000 others with MS for the biggest mass lobby of Parliament of its kind in history.
  • Thursday 27 July 2000: As NICE met to decide the future of beta interferon on the NHS, we protested outside the Dept of Health. We wore gags emblazoned with the 'NICE' acronym to express our outrage that NICE and the Government have persistently refused to listen to the voices of people with MS.
  • Thursday 14 September 2000: We joined 150 people with MS in a demonstration outside Downing Street and temporarily blocked Whitehall with a slow procession. A small group walked to the Prime Minister's residence with a petition signed by 120,000 people who agree that the Government should listen to people with MS and give us the drugs we need.
  • Sunday 15 October 2000: We took part in the ITV Walk of Promise along London's South Bank. Accompanied by street band Paseo Malanga, we handed out over 250 campaign leaflets to members of the public.
  • Thursday 9 November 2000: JJ member Charissa made a point about our failing health service on the BBC1 TV political debating programme Question Time.
  • Monday 4 December 2000: Jooly and JJ member Charissa appeared on the ITV programme 'Get Online' to talk about Jooly's Joint and the beta interferon crisis.
  • Tuesday 20 February 2001: Jooly and others with MS took part in a live debate about beta interferon on the Nicky Campbell show on BBC Radio 5 Live.
  • Tuesday 20 March 2001: BBC Nottingham interviewed JJ member Louise Upton about her fight to get beta interferon.
  • Saturday 31 March 2001: Members of Jooly's Joint joined other disability groups in a march through London to demand disability rights.
  • Wednesday 25 July 2001: Jooly is interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live and asked to give her reaction to the news that the Government is to carry out an independent investigation into the performance of NICE.
  • Thursday 9 August 2001: Jooly and other members of Jooly's Joint took part in an hour-long debate about NICE and beta interferon on the Nicky Campbell Show on BBC Radio 5 Live. Jooly was in the studio and was able to put her points directly to Andrew Dillon of NICE.

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