I thought you would like to know how the visit to Downing St went.

The Easington MP, Grahame Morris (Labour Party), was extremely kind and agreed to meet us in Porcullis House beforehand, so we didn’t have to sit in a dreadful over-priced café or stand in the rain. But it turned into a business meeting – Grahame Morris has been extremely busy furthering the cause for Vitamin B12 awareness, and has enlisted the support of a Conservative MP (Priti Patel, MP for Witham) who met Dr Chandy at the Award Ceremony for the Glory of India Award. The two of them have circulated our summary of the cost-effectiveness of screening for deficiency and treating with Vitamin B12 to the Commons Health Select Committee, and have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley CBE. This is an enormous step forward!

How has this happened? Well, there’s a silver lining to the austerity measures and the parlous state of the country’s finances – we can no longer afford to do things that don’t work, we have to do what actually makes people healthier. If B12 deficiency is the underlying cause of a great many conditions, then treatment with Vitamin B12 replacement therapy will save the nation in medical costs as well as giving people the quality of their life back and helping people back into work. The cost equation is very clear (see http://b12d.org/content/cost-mis-diagnosis) in favour of B12 deficiency screening, appropriate diagnosis and tailored treatment.

DOWNING STREET –

Signs of a Change

As we walked to Downing Street from Portcullis House, two chance meetings convinced us that B12 awareness is finally gaining ground.  

1. we passed Stephen Dorrell MP, Chair of the Commons Health Select Committee, who greeted Grahame Morris MP warmly.  Grahame has been active explaining the benefits to individual people, to communities and to national of Vitamin B12 deficiency so this warm greeting suggests his proposals are supported
2. we met an old friend, Mary Southcott, who has been active in lobbying for recognition for B12 deficiency. This chance meeting was extraordinary - she would normally use a different door and 30 seconds either side and we would have missed each other!

Sadly my own camera and phone gave up so I couldn't photograph Grahame Morris MP with Dr Chandy, or Dr Chandy outside Downing St.  But we have the best photographs!