Brain Tumour Research debate in the House of Commons - Monday Afternoon Westminster Hall 4.30-7.30

It is common knowledge that I suffered a brain tumour and had a craniotomy in May 2011:
My short version of events is here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2035955/MP-Guy-Opperman-recalls-owes-NHS-life-diagnosed-brain-tumour.html
Next Monday, the House of Commons has a special debate on the issue of Brain Tumour Research + the petition to the Commons on this issue:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmpetitions/554/554.pdf
This is the issue which Celia Ridley, mother of Stu Ridley, has given evidence to both in writing and when the Petitions Committee first considered this matter.

Congratulations to The Brain Tumour Charity, Angie's Fund and Gina Tillotson for their fundraising efforts at the Lord Crewe Arms

Having suffered a brain tumour I am a big supporter of the various charities raising money for research and better diagnosis of such hard to treat conditions as brain tumours; many of my ward died whilst I was in my NHS hospital, the National Neurological and Neurosurgical Hospital in Queens Square, London. I have previously raised money by walking Hadrian's Wall, and all proceeds of my book, Doing Time, are given to brain tumour research.
The event that took place last month in Blanchland raised over £10,000, and whilst I could not go I am pleased to say that the book, and a few add ons, went for over £200. This was part of a packed programme of donations, commitments and offers available on the night and full credit to Gina Tillotson, and all the team behind the event. I was pleased, in a very small way, to help.
Full details of the charity and what it is trying to do here: http://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/supporter-groups/angies-fund

2013 in Review - March April + May

In March I ruined a good shirt in a great cause at the Whistle Stop Art Project in Haltwhistle. Alison and her team do a great job for the local community. Also the Falkland Island Referendum came good - a great result that I debated in the House of Commons. The full debate from March 12 is here:  http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2013-03-12b.277.0&s=%28falkland+islands%29+speaker%3A24962#g277.2
This period of time featured the Local Elections. I am pleased to say that we did really well in Ponteland and Tynedale, after a huge effort by so many supporters, friends and activists from 15 to 85. My thanks to everyone who stood, or supported us. Sadly it was not enough to take the Council - which is now controlled by the Labour Party with support from independents.

Over the spring we did a lot of fundraising for the National Brain Appeal, the charity that supports the NHS hospital I was in when I was cured. The surgeon who saved my life, Neil Kitchen, came in to the house and I handed over the cheque, that arises out of royalties from the book, Doing Time, and a charity quiz I held. I appeared at the Hexham Literary Festival, which was great fun but very nervous making! I held many meetings but probably the most important one was with the If campaigners: you can read my specific blog on this issue here:   http://guyopperman.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-if-campaign-and-issue-of.html
Finally my favourite visit of the year was by the three young women from Hexham Middle School, and their maths teacher. They came to meet Liz Truss, the education minister, after they transformed maths teaching by their input.

Visiting the National Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital in Queens Square tomorrow

I have fundraised for the wonderful NHS neurosurgical hospital which treated me in 2011 ever since my recovery. We have done sponsored walks across Hadrian's Wall for the National Brain Appeal, the charity that supports brain tumour research and the hospital; see previous posts here:
http://www.uclh.org/News/Pages/ThanksyousavedmylifesaysMP.aspx
And here:
http://guyopperman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/back-to-hospital-for-good-reasons-this.html

This year I donated the profits from both a charity quiz and the proceeds in their entirety from the book, Doing Time (a few copies amazingly are still available in your local bookshops, or if you must on Amazon, if you want to read the "must read book of the year", or make a donation to the national brain appeal!)
I am still helping the hospital and the charity in whatever way I can, and recently lobbied the Public Health Minister, Anna Soubry, MP, for greater funding and support for brain tumour research and the Queens Square hospital itself.
Tomorrow I am going to the hospital for a number of reasons but I will definitely going into the Lane Fox ward in the basement to give the nurses and team a supply of biscuits and chocolates. Night shifts are very long and I know that the patients put the nurses through a lot, because we are not the easiest bunch post operatively. I certainly was a patient they do not forget!
They got particularly upset with me when I decided that I wanted some fresh air post operation, and managed to find my way out of the hospital, and go on a 2 hour frolic of my own through the city, even though still covered in head bandages that would have made an Egyptian Mummy proud. The nurses were not best pleased. I was far from a model patient. I will be urging others to do as I say not do as I did.
The serious point is that if you are considering donating then the National Brain Appeal http://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/?gclid=CKrl0a3SjrkCFcLHtAod9QoAPQ
is a wonderful charity, that helps saves countless lives, including my own.

Update: lovely to see the 2 ward sisters, Clara in Lane Fox, and the pocket rocket that is Sheila - who runs an amazing High Dependency Unit with great warmth, huge effort and a wonderful smile.

Giving book proceeds to the NHS as a thank you

NHS surgeon Neil Kitchen saved my life. Last week I welcomed Neil into the House of Commons to hand over the royalty proceeds of my book, Doing Time, which was published late last year.
Neil is a consultant neurosurgeon at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Queen's Square in London, and he is pictured receiving the cheque for £649.08 The cheque handover was made in the Central Lobby in the House of Commons, Westminster, on the exact spot where I had collapsed on April 26th 2011 due to an undiagnosed meningioma.

I had raised the money out of the proceeds of the book and a small charity quiz: I have always made it clear that I would not benefit from the book sales, but the National Brain Appeal charity would. All proceeds from book sales, after printing and publishing costs, go to this wonderful charity that supports brain tumour research.
Neil removed the benign tumour on May 5th 2011 by way of a craniotomy, and I have felt great ever since, albeit I am continuying to fight for a better deal for brain tumour sufferers. After seeing me Neil commented:
"Guy has made a full recovery, and it is wonderful to seeing him looking so well. It is also good to see him continuing to support the research and work of the neurosurgery team at the National Hospital. We will put the money raised to good use."

Speaking about my book "Doing Time" Hexham Book Festival 6.30 Monday Queens Hall

Prison reform and criminal justice are the issues addressed in my book which I am discussing in a Q and A session Monday evening at the Queens Hall Hexham - the proceeds from the book go to my favourite NHS charity the National Brain Appeal
Please feel free to come along - its my first Book Festival! I will be signing copies of the book with the bookshop Cogito Books afterwards in the foyer.
The BBC reviewed the Book here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20270600

The short summary would be as follows:
A ground-breaking study of national importance of our criminal justice system by an MP and a former criminal barrister of note.
Prison does work. It locks people up so that the prisoner cannot then commit a crime: yet prison for years has failed to change the prisoner's behaviour. It is a disappointing fact of our prison system that under the last government released prisoners had a reoffending rate of approximately 70%. Prisons are a short term fix, not a long term solution. The public does not want us to be soft on prisoners. The Justice system needs to command the respect and confidence of the people. It clearly has not commanded that respect for some considerable time. Repeated polling shows that the public wants prison to be more effective at changing prisoners' behaviour. Put simply, it wants government to knuckle down and make prisons work . This study attempts to analyse what went wrong with the prison regimes in the past, makes suggestions for future changes, and assesses how things are changing under the new government. By ignoring prisoners, locking them up, and then discharging them with no basic skills, and still drug addicted, we have created a recipe for disaster and ever increasing prison numbers. This government should make the tackling of crime and reoffending a number one priority. The key point is that we know what the problems are: all are capable of being addressed.

Back to Hospital - for good reasons this time!!

Up early tomorrow morning to go to the National Neurological Hospital in Queens Square, London. Regular readers will know that doctors there saved my life in April / May 2011 by removing a non malignant tumour.
Last summer I raised money for the hospitals charity campaign by walking Hadrians Wall. I then increased that sum by telling the story of the illness, the amazing NHS care that I received, and the recovery you can make from a tumour.
The full story is on this link, and my thanks to the Mail on Sunday Health Team who made a large donation to the charity in return for the story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2035955/MP-Guy-Opperman-recalls-owes-NHS-life-diagnosed-brain-tumour.html
I will be handing over a large cheque to the hospital when I see the Chief Exec first thing. Looking forward to popping in to my ward and saying hello to the nurses. Like all nurses they love chocolate - fear not ladies, your regular rations are on their way.