Last week, Salford and Bolton campaigners joined together in Bolton Town centre to protest against attacks on the NHS.
There was a national weekend of action against the TTIP, or Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which, if implemented, will give transnational companies the right to bid for all government spending, including on health, and will change the whole emphasis of NHS health care from patient priority to the rights of transnational organisations.
The treaty will also give corporations the right to claim massive compensation if the government introduces initiatives that could potentially reduce transnationals' future profits. It will also make it virtually impossible for governments of the future to reverse the privatisation of the NHS even if this proves to be a disaster.
"We are campaigning to raise awareness of the threat that this dangerous EU-US trade deal trade deal poses to our health" said Karen Reissmann, Secretary for Save Bolton Health Services.
Meanwhile, on World Mental Health Day the protest was also centred on the sell off of the Bolton Psychological Therapies service, which has been put up for sale by the Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group, and valued at around £1million, actually undervaluing the current cost of providing the service by up to a half, say campaigners.
"Psychological Therapy in Bolton is a top quality service, with little waiting list" Karen explained "At a time of austerity, more people are becoming anxious and depressed and we cannot understand how this service can be maintained or improved by slashing its budget and handing it over to a private company, who will look to make profit from the mental health of the people of Bolton.
"Instead of spending money on the tendering process, it should be spent on care" she added "We are calling on the local community to join our campaign and demand a halt the tender process and to leave our psychological therapies service alone."
For further details see the Facebook group click here
For further details on TTIP see Patients4NHS website click here
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