A new era for Just Treatment

This blog is written by the Co-Chairs of Just Treatment’s new Board of Directors.

Hello! We’re Adina and Michael, and we are thrilled and very proud to introduce ourselves as Just Treatment’s new Board Co-Chairs. 

From a vision to a reality

Just Treatment has entered a new phase of its existence, and we’re so happy to share the news with you. In 2017 our current Executive Director, Diarmaid, had a vision to help NHS patients whose lives were being put at risk because of the profit-driven behaviour of big pharmaceutical companies. 

Since then, and until now, Just Treatment was “incubated” (or housed) by a bigger non-profit organisation called New Economy Organisers Network (NEON), who have played an important role in helping new progressive campaigning organisations get off the ground. 

Just Treatment celebrated many successes and has grown since its kick off, and has now graduated to an independent organisation, with a bright future ahead thanks to the dedication of staff, supporters and patient leaders. 

What you’ve achieved

For every single patient leader, supporter and staff member that has formed part of the Just Treatment community over the past 7 years, this is a moment to be extremely proud of. 7 years ago Just Treatment didn’t exist. Today, it’s an organisation with 7 staff members, dozens of patient leaders, and a supporter base of over 90,000 from across Britain and beyond, united in the belief that every single one of us deserves access to free, quality healthcare.

Over the years this movement has achieved incredible things:

  • We’ve secured lifesaving access to medicines for thousands of patients. 

  • We’ve forced powerful corporations and politicians to change their positions to meet the needs and demands of previously unheard voices. 

  • Our approach has consistently generated high profile media coverage - shifting public debate and making transformative change that starts with those most affected possible. 

But we’re not done yet -  in fact, the work of Just Treatment is needed more than ever. And the new board, staff and supporters are looking to the future strategy to continue to make big changes for patients everywhere.

Here’s the challenge

Right now, because of profit-hungry companies and the politicians that protect them, thousands of us aren’t getting access to the healthcare care we need. Pharmaceutical companies are charging prices so high that health systems and patients can’t afford the medicines. 

For years our National Health Service has been starved of investment, meaning waiting lists are soaring, staff shortages are worsening, and hundreds are dying needlessly each week due to delays in urgent care. Meanwhile, profit-making corporations are being handed greater control over our health service and making millions in the process. 

What we’re doing & how

Just Treatment exists to counter these injustices. We’re so proud to work with many fantastic allied organisations across the NHS movement and the global access to medicines movement. But we also bring something unique. 

Every campaign we run is led by the people most affected by the injustice we're trying to solve, backed by thousands of people who won’t let them fight alone. Whether it's patients bravely sharing personal stories that make corporate greed impossible to ignore, people joining a protest on the streets, signing petitions to show the scale of support, or donating to enable patients and their families to campaign for change. This is how we fight back and ultimately save lives.

This core value of being patient-led runs through everything that Just Treatment does, including its new Board of Directors! That’s why we’ve embedded the principle that more than 50% of the Board membership must be people who have direct lived experience - either themselves or through a loved one - of health injustice. The job of the Board will be to provide support and guidance to the staff team and retain oversight of the financial, legal and strategic sustainability of the organisation. You can read a bit more about the members of the Board here. 

A huge thank you to every single person who helped to get Just Treatment to this point. We are beyond excited to see what comes next, and to play a part in making it happen.

Hope Worsdale