By Olivia Mumby
Leicester citizens have been urged to attend an upcoming public launch meeting to support the NHS.
Organised by campaign groups Health Campaigns Together and Save Glenfield Children’s Heart Unit, ‘Save Our NHS Leicestershire’ takes place on Saturday, April 28, at Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, LE1 1WB, from 2:30-4pm.
Speaking via Facebook, the meeting’s organisers said: “Cuts and privatisation in the health service means the NHS is in permanent crisis, and now the government is planning to cut a further £22 billion from its budget through what they call ‘Sustainability and Transformation plans’.
“Locally, we are set to lose £500 million. This means ongoing deterioration in our services.”
The campaign groups are made up of members of the public, along with NHS patients and staff.
Last year, the Save Glenfield Children’s Heart Unit group was successful in preventing the planned closure of the centre, which, according to them, shows: “If enough people unite and fight back against unjust proposals, we can win.”
They continued: “The aim of the campaign is to coordinate action in defence of the NHS across Leicestershire and Rutland. We are part of Health Campaigns Together, a national group with similar aims.
“The campaign will be asking local trade union, and political and community groups to formally affiliate to the campaign, but we are also open to patients, staff, trade unionists, political activists and other interested parties.”
