Enver Solomon

Director of Evidence and Impact at the National Children’s Bureau

One of the most shocking statistics relating to children in our country is the fact that five lives under the age of 14 would be saved each day if our record on child mortality was the best in Europe - that's the equivalent of 1600 avoidable child deaths a year; a truly startling figure.

Ellee Seymour

Press and political consultant, journalist, ghost writer, social media adviser

Let's hope someone in government is listening.

Paddy Duffy

Writer and broadcaster

Of course the biggest move of the cabinet though was Andrew Lansley being shifted out of Health. "Great!", shouted his many opponents, "A clean break from the dangerous meddling of the past!".

Richard Marsh

Consultant and Writer

For the third day in succession, the House of Commons addressed itself to the welfare of older members of our society. Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, it became clear as the day wore on, had been unusually cast as the relief party.

Iain Anderson

Director, Cicero

Rather than living on a legacy, now is the time to start building a protection market which is fit for purpose in the 21st century.

Jasdev Singh Rai

Medical Doctor, with MA in politics, human rights activist and community worker

The BMA may have lost some face but the losers will be the general public if Lansley succeeds in pushing top doctors to choose between NHS and an emerging but attractive private sector. British doctors are passionate about the NHS and serving their patients.

Janet Fyle

Policy Adviser and Midwife – UK and international midwifery policy and health equality campaigner

As a society, we probably do not understand the extent to which perinatal mental health problems can impact adversely on families and in particular children. There is a paradox of society's expectation of the happy mother, perfect parents with a much loved baby. This is in contrast compared to the hidden realities of becoming and being parents.

Cameron Penny

Financial services lobbyist with an interest in tech

Andrew Lansley emerged last week to declare that he wanted tobacco companies to have "no business" in the UK. In recent years we've seen similar Government-led interventions in the corporate world. From the Kremlin-led incursions into Yukos to the US Government's halt on CNOOC's takeover of Unocal.

Neil Scott

Lefty blogger who is based in Scotland and who supports the movement for an Independent Scotland.

On April 12 1912, the Titanic sank. The "unsinkable sinking" and God's wrath on men getting above their station are held as reasons for the lingering...

Jamie Reed

Labour's Shadow Health Minister

The Health Bill was one of the most hated and ridiculed Bill in living memory and will do great damage to the NHS. Longer waiting times, restrictions to services and a postcode lottery where we will see real differential standards applied.

Alan Moore

Founder, SMLXL; Author 'No Straight Lines'

The bitter public battle now being fought over the future of the NHS looks set to continue. Its future shape uncertain, and the mounting resistance that is so visceral is based upon fear, uncertainty and crucially a genuine lack of trust in those that claim to be guiding us to the best possible future the NHS.

Amarjot Sidhu

A student who enjoys criticising the prodigious world-

"Doesn't it also demonstrate that however well you may be on top of your brief, you are a hopeless communicator?" This was question posed to the health secretary by Jeremy Paxman during an interview and one senses this is indicative of the thoughts of many politicians.

Hugh Salmon

Surprising human insights from the big, wide world

Don't worry about 'competition' in the NHS. Just invite commercial operations to tender for the business and, in return, demand a piece of the action.

Chris Skidmore

Conservative MP for Kingswood

The party of the NHS? We shouldn't be afraid to expose this as the greatest joke in politics. At a time when the NHS needs reform to ensure its survival in the face of unprecedented demographic change, Labour cannot be trusted with the NHS. All they do, all they will ever do, is waste your money, and defend the interests of producers over patients.

Peter Kellner

President of YouGov, political commentator and journalist

The politics of health reform are becoming ever more tangled. And the more tangled they become, the worse it will be for the Government. Last week I argued that, if David Cameron genuinely believes that the Health and Social Care Bill really will drive standards up and costs down, he should ignore the doubters and keep going. However, fresh YouGov research underlines the risks that he is running.

Rupert Wolfe-Murray

Editor at Castle Craig addiction rehab clinic

Health reform is perhaps the most divisive issue in Britain's government... and there is another health issue that the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary do not agree on: the new Alcohol Strategy, which is expected to be announced any day now. David Cameron wants a minimum price to be imposed on cheap supermarket alcohol, while Andrew Lansley prefers self regulation.