NHS

Build for a March demo

THE BATTLE to save the National Health Service must be stepped up in 2007 to stop cuts, closures and privatisation. Across the country, hundreds joined the 15 December day of action called by People United Saving Hospitals (PUSH) – an NHS campaigns umbrella group.

At Whipps Cross hospital in east London about 60 people joined a lunchtime protest. Tory bigwig Iain Duncan Smith and New Labour MPs turned up and spoke before Socialist Party members Paula Mitchell and Nancy Taaffe lambasted them for their anti-NHS policies.

A protest by about 50 people outside the Department of Health got campaigners on BBC drive time radio for a long interview, and the protest was filmed as background to a news article on BBC London evening news. (See video)

PUSH has called for a national demonstration on 3 March to bring together all the local protests. The TUC is organising regional demos on that day. But there have been regional protests already. Leicester has seen three of them! We now need a national demonstration to coordinate opposition to government plans to cut and privatise the NHS.

Trafalgar Square is already booked for 3 March. Most health campaigners and many NHS union activists would agree that the TUC and the health service unions should back the PUSH call for a national march and rally. Save our NHS!