On the fifth anniversary of the huge demonstration against bombing Iraq, I again travelled to London to take part in the continuing protests against this war which has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians, 4,000 US troops, 175 British service personnel and one of our Government scientists. We have to march in protest and we have to bring the troops home. Britain must regain the respect that it has lost in the world under Blair.

I have immense respect for York Against The War which has campaigned for six years, organising a weekly presence in Parliament Street in York as well as taking coaches full of demonstrators to travel to London to march and take part in rallies against the killing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square to listen to speakers including Tony Benn, Baroness Tongue, George Galloway MP, Lindsay German, Nick Broomfield, and Green MEP Caroline Lucas.

Some 10,000 to 40,000 protesters, depending on whose figures you believe, were then to march down Whitehall, cross the Thames and return to Parliament Square.

However, Trafalgar Square was as much as I saw of the march because my partner collapsed in agony with back pain and had to be taken to hospital with shock. She's suffered for years with a bad back but it was unfortunate to collapse in a large crowd, 200 miles from home, in such pain. Two cycling paramedics appeared (just like we have in York!) and were really helpful. However, an ambulance had to be called to take her to hospital. It was at St. Thomas's Hospital, in the Accident & Emergency Department, that the chaos really began. I asked if Chris could lie down as she was in agony with her back. "Oh, no, there are no beds. You'll have to wait in reception," came the reply. The reception had hard metal benches which were not suitable for anyone in any degree of pain or discomfort.

Of course, A&E Departments of hospitals are often chaotic places. There was a young man with mental health problems who had spread his belongings about. I guessed that he was homeless. His case was neither an 'accident' nor an 'emergency', but the services for mental health patients are so poor that some people present their problems in A&E. He was ejected by four security guards - perhaps another sign of the state of our health services in the capital.

After half an hour's wait Chris enquired of the reception staff how long she would have to wait to be seen by a doctor. "Oh, at least another hour," came the reply. We left, in search of a chemist's shop, some painkillers, and the coach back to York. I'm told that otherwise the march was regarded as a successful day, but for me it illustrated a point of how New Labour has become obsessed with warfare at the expense of welfare.