CAMPAIGNERS, activists and concerned residents from across Worcestershire are gearing up for county-wide action in defence of the NHS on Saturday.
It’s Our NHS Worcestershire (IONHSW), a group of campaigners made up of political parties, trade unions, campaign groups and individuals have organised the rallies as part of a national day of action by Health Campaigns Together and People’s Assembly Against Austerity.
A locally organised demonstration by the cross-party Keep our NHS Public group will take place at Evesham Community Hospital from midday
“The increasing strain on NHS staff and services over this winter period, the downgrading of services and the threat of closure for local hospitals and key services, such as Respite, has necessitated county-wide action,” said a IONHSW spokesperson.
“Campaigners and the wider public are still asking, where is Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s promised £29.6 million? In the current state of things, with the trust paying around £46 million in medical negligence, will the money even touch the sides? We want to know how the funding holes will be filled long-term.
“This is against a backdrop, nationally, of continued attacks on the contracts and pay of NHS workers, further cuts made under the guise of Special Transformation Partnerships (STP’s) and the privatisation of services by the Conservative government. It’s Our NHS Worcestershire supports all NHS workers and opposes any efforts to divert blame onto them.”
The Worcestershire events will support a national rally in London on the same day when Health Campaigns Together and The Peoples Assembly will demand more funds to support the winter crisis on the 70th anniversary of the creation of NHS.
Last year IONHSW took hundreds of Worcestershire residents from Worcester, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Evesham and Kidderminster to London for a national demonstration of hundreds of thousands.
The group also collected thousands of signatures on petitions and organised a march and demonstration in Worcester town centre.
The group welcomes any support and discussion on the issue.
