HUNDREDS of healthcare professionals and campaigners took to the streets today in the latest Oxford March to Defend the NHS.
Protesters met at Manzil Way, East Oxford, at 1pm before marching to the city centre with banners and placards.
The march is in response to sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) set to change the face of the NHS across the UK.
The aim of STPs is to reshape the health service to meet demand, but they have been likened to ‘cuts and closures’.
Reporter Annabal Bagdi is reporting live from the march:
Protestors chanting as they take their march along Cowley Road pic.twitter.com/Q8yd6UNmT1
— Annabal Bagdi (@OxMailAnnabalB) May 13, 2017
Marchers are also calling for an end to ‘attacks on pay and conditions’ and what they consider the privatisation of the NHS.
They were addressed by Anneliese Dodds, the Labour parliamentary candidate for Oxford East Anneliese Dodds, and the Green parliamentary candidate for Oxford East, Larry Sanders.
Mr Sanders said: “No party should fear the need to spend enough to protect our National Health Service, something most of the population are extremely proud of. To safeguard the NHS and the safety of our people the money needs to be there.
“In healthcare, money means doctors, nurses and hospital beds.”
It follows a similar demonstration in November last year in which NHS staff and patients took part in a ‘funeral procession’ for the NHS complete with a coffin donated by Cowley firm Colourful Coffins.
Earlier this year public consultation took place on phase one of the ‘Oxfordshire Transformation Programme’, the local arm of the STP for Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West, which included the potential closure of 200 acute beds and centralisation of some acute services from Banbury’s Horton General Hospital to Oxford.
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