Health campaigners bring city centre traffic to a stand still

Date published: 03/03/2007

Rochdale health campaigner Councillor Jean Ashworth joined many hundreds of health workers in Albert Square, Manchester on Saturday 3 March for a huge rally and demonstration as part of the "NHS Together’ national day of action.

NHS Together brings together all the health service unions and staff associations together with the TUC. It's a campaign alliance of health staff; the aim is to send a powerful message in celebration and defence of the NHS, raise the alarm at what is happening to the NHS and to press the government for honest and open discussion about its reform agenda.

Union officials and health workers say the NHS has been getting better thanks to increased spending and the dedication and commitment of NHS workers to new ways of working. However, they add that progress is under threat because:

• Health trust deficits are causing cuts in patient care and staff jobs
• NHS staff support reform that delivers better patient care, but that has been replaced by untested rapid changes with no staff involvement
• The fragmentation of the NHS threatens the NHS values that bind it together.

Commenting on the demonstration Councillor Ashworth said: "Hundreds turned out from many different areas; we marched round Manchester with banners and placards bringing traffic to a standstill in the city centre.

"The atmosphere was fantastic and everyone was united against the Government's plans to downgrade our health care services and hospitals.

"Various people gave speeches: union officials, a consultant, a midwife, members of the public and myself - I stated that Rochdale was to lose the most and said how we had two reviews ongoing regarding A amp; E and Children amp; Maternity services and how we must continue working together."