CAMPAIGNER, patients and concerned residents from across Worcestershire are gearing up for a march and rally in defence of the NHS.
Taking place in Worcester city centre on Saturday from 11am, the rally is being organised by the It’s Our NHS Worcestershire, a group of campaigners made up of political parties, trade unions, campaign groups and individuals.
As well as taking to the city’s streets, organisers have collected almost 1,000 signatures on petitions and have delivered thousands of leaflets leading up to the demonstration.
Earlier this year the group took hundreds of Worcestershire residents from Worcester, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Malvern, Stourport and Kidderminster to London for a national demonstration, which saw hundreds of thousands turn out in defence of the NHS.
The deaths at Worcestershire Royal Hospital over the winter, the downgrading of services at community hospitals and the continuous threat of closure for local county hospitals prompted campaigners to hold a local demonstration.
But members have also attacked the pay freeze affecting NHS workers and alleged more cuts were made under the guise of the Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs)
The demonstration has the support of many trade union branches, political parties and groups including Unite Acute Health, Worcester Trades Union Council, Bromsgrove Labour Party, Evesham Labour Party, National Union of Teachers Worcestershire, Unite Community Worcestershire, Musicians Union and UNISON Worcestershire.
Assembling at 11am on Mealcheapen Street, the march through the city will depart at 11.30am and will end at Tramps with a rally at 12.30pm.
The group welcomes any support and discussion on this issue. Donations to cover costs for donations to be made payable to Unite Community Worcestershire.
Mike Cross, an NUT delegate to Worcester Trades Council said: “Worcestershire health services are already clearly in crisis with growing waiting lists and missed treatment targets.
“Now another top-down reorganisation is being forced through and its object is to save money.
“The authorities may talk about “a shift to community services” but the plans for our local NHS are being driven by funding cuts not evidence; they plan to save £229 million per year by 2020 and it is patients, their families and already overworked NHS staff who will suffer.”
