Following on from yesterday's Anti-Austerity Protest (see here), next Saturday, 30th May, there's going to be another big event outside the Manchester Royal Infirmary on Oxford Road in Manchester which aims to raise awareness of the continued privatisation of the NHS under the Tory Government.
The day begins at 12noon with a Locking Out Privatisation gesture in which people are asked to bring padlocks covered in reasons why they love the NHS which will then by secured to the railings outside the MRI and to, symbolically, lock the NHS into public hands.
Meanwhile, over the road at Whitworth Park, there's going to be a festival type event with speakers, three bands, including Natural Curriculum, poets and a community art happening with street-art collective, Six Foot Tang Clan.
The day is being organised by the Manchester People's Assembly with the new Save Our NHS Greater Manchester Coalition. Salford NHS campaigners are also lending support. A statement from the coalition of campaign groups involved reads:
"The UK saw huge cuts to NHS services, and under the new government even greater cuts have been proposed. Those attending will be standing up for a health care service that is free at the point of use, and against the privatisation of vital services...
"After the closure of Trafford A&E, all hospitals in Manchester have been under huge amounts of pressure" it adds "Patients wait hours to be seen and hospital targets are not being met. Campaigners at the time warned of the effect the closure of Trafford A&E would have to vital services these warnings were ignored to the detriment of the service now available. Campaigners warn that further cuts will only increase the problems we see arising now. After the Ambulance service in Manchester was privatised and sold to French transport company Arriva, waiting times for ambulances have risen dramatically often placing members of the public at serious risk.
"When the aim of a company is profit over public welfare we fail to see how further privatisation of services could be for the greater good of the NHS" says Hannah McCarthy from the Save Our NHS Greater Manchester Coalition.
Say No To NHS Privatisation
Saturday 30th May 12-4pm
MRI/Whitworth Park, Manchester
For further details see the Facebook event click here
Or the website click here
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
