Supporters of the NHS to march through York (From York Press)

Supporters of the NHS to march through York

9:45am Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News By Richard Catton, Health reporter

SUPPORTERS of the National Health Service in York are set to march through the city next month in what will be a major show of strength against Government health reforms.

Doctors, union officials and supporters will join members of action group Save Our NHS York, for the march, on Saturday April 6, which will end with speakers and a rally in St Sampson’s Square.

Among those who are expected to address the crowd will be City of York Council leader Coun James Alexander and David Byrom, chairman of the Mid Yorks Hospitals Unison branch. Supporter Anne Leonard, a member of Save Our NHS York, said: “One of the struggles that people have in our part of Yorkshire is that our NHS funding is way below what’s comparable with other areas.

“North Yorkshire has far more elderly people than many places and it’s having to cope with an elderly population but with less funding.”

She said it was important people marched to stop the increasing privatisation of the NHS.

She said: “The Government has no mandate for this and we were promised the health service was safe in their hands. There was nothing about this huge reorganisation.

“The NHS is a real means of making society equal and providing for people at a time of need – we lose that at our peril.”

The march will assemble outside York Minster at noon. The marchers will then go on to St Sampson’s Square, where the rally will be held from 1pm to 2pm.

Those wishing to take part are encouraged to bring banners and dress as brightly as possible.

A spokesman for Save Our NHS York said: “Let us shout up for a publicly owned, comprehensive health service where it’s co-operation not competition that counts, and people, not profit, call the shots.”