In September of 2004 my wife and I were on holiday in Malta. We had hired a car and were having a wonderful time exploring the island. It was after supper on the fifth day. We were sat in the bar when I felt a feeling of discomfort in my lower abdomen and then something ‘popped’ inside me. There was no sensation of acute pain just a vague knowledge that something was wrong.

It has indeed been a baptism of fire. Within 2 hours of going live NHS Survival received harsh criticism. We were called a "Jeremy-Hunt bashing group", a "self-interest group and our aims are ridiculous". The one which hurt though is that we "don't represent patients".

You will find this hard reading. No doubt some will accuse me of scaremongering. I concede that the picture I will paint is grim but I truly believe it to be a real possibility. I will not suggest a precise timescale these events – that would really be stretching it too far – but suffice to say we are talking months to a couple of years rather than decades.

The Scottish government have declined to implement the DDRB proposals on their junior doctors, resulting in the current New Deal contract continuing. Although, this is welcome news for NHS staff in Scotland, this announcement raises more worrying questions for their colleagues and patients in Wales, Northern Ireland and England.

This is a letter written by Dr. Hoong-Wei Gan to their MP, Neil Coyle.

Dear Mr. Coyle,

The NHS is dying, or to be more specific, is being killed, slowly and painfully. The political catchphrase being thrown around at the moment, that it has been receiving a ‘real terms increase’ in funding each year is, to be frank, a lie.

Good medical practice is built on keeping up with evidence. As healthcare professionals this is drilled into us at every stage of training. If only the same could be said for politicians...

High quality medical training is the key to a sustainable high quality NHS. The motivating force behind my decision to become involved in NHS Survival is simple, like many patients and doctors I have become increasingly exasperated and frustrated at the way in which structures have been 'reformed' in a rather evidence-free and potentially dangerous manner.