On Saturday 1st April thousands of people from Yorkshire will converge on Leeds city centre to demand sufficient funding for quality health care and an end to cuts, closures and privatisation.
The march’s organisers, Health Campaigns Together, are expecting a large turn out – the largest in Leeds this millennium. Protestors from across the country are expected to participate in the demonstration, and a number of key unions, including Unite, GMB and Unison, have given their full support.
Health Campaigns Together offered the following statement: “£20 billion in cuts to our NHS and annual funding increases slashed from 4% to 1% despite rising demand has led to unprecedented chaos in many of our A&Es.
“Massive bed cuts nationally mean that bed occupancy at 90% is consistently running above accepted safe levels. Patients are being discharged in haste to free up space for others stuck in A&E. The Red Cross have graphically described the situation in our hospitals as a “humanitarian crisis”.
“Meanwhile the NHS is obliged by the 2012 Health and Social Care Act to waste huge amounts of money putting services out to tender, and private firms are sucking up tax payers money. Virgin already have over £1 billion worth of contracts and management consultants are making millions advising the NHS where to cut next.
“Now the Government is insisting on a further £22 billion ‘savings’ (nearly £1 billion in West Yorkshire alone) delivered by the hastily conceived and secret Sustainability and Transformation Plans. They have the cheek to call for better public health after presiding over a 10% reduction in health visitors, a 40% reduction in district nurses and massive reductions in spending on sexual health and alcohol related illness.”
Demonstrators are gathering from 10:30 am in Victoria Gardens, outside Leeds Art Gallery. After performances from a number of bands and choirs, the march will begin at approximately 12 noon, and circle through the city centre, before returning to Victoria Gardens for a short rally.
The march’s Facebook event can be found here.
