Carlisle

Carlisle campaign stall, 30 April

Carlisle campaign stall, 30 April   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

People were queued up to sign our petition to stop NHS privatisation and defend the junior doctors against attacks by Jeremy Hunt in Carlisle on 30 April.

Recent revelations in the Cumberland News about the state of the local infirmary highlight the seriousness of the problem. Staff are overworked, and the number of beds available inadequate.

This is not the fault of the workers, but is rather due to management failures, PFI debts and chronic underfunding from central government. Trusts all over the country are experiencing similar problems.

It’s SOS time for the NHS. Hunt’s new contract would make already overstretched doctors work dangerously long hours, leading to demoralisation in a profession where it is increasingly difficult to recruit. Many doctors would seek employment overseas or leave the profession entirely if the contract were imposed on them.

It is also part of a wider attack on NHS staff, preparing the ground for complete privatisation. Contracts awarded to the private sector rose by 500% in 2015, largely to for-profit groups.

We support the doctors 100% in their fight to protect patient care and defend our National Health Service against a government hell bent on destroying it

Robert Charlesworth, Carlisle Socialist Party

Leicester

In Leicester we hold a ‘super stall’ once a month from 11am until 3pm.

On 30 April we sold 62 copies of the Socialist and raised £96 fighting fund, campaigning on the junior doctors’ dispute for which there was great support and the headline ‘bring down the Tories’ was also popular.

Heather Rawling, Leicester Socialist Party