Protesters in a demonstration against the closure of A&E and maternity services at Lewisham Hospital on January 26, 2013
Thousands of British activists are expected to take to the streets on central London in order to protest against the coalition government’s cuts to National Health Service (NHS).
Campaigners will gather on Saturday May 18 in Belvedere Road, Jubilee Gardens, near Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank, where they will deliver a letter to Number 10 calling for a stop to its privatization plans for the NHS.
They will also march to the Department of Health in Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament.
The Defend London’s NHS march was called by a coalition of trade unions, health campaigners, London residents and medical staff in protest against a new wave of Accident and emergency (A&E) closures.
Activists are warning that standards of care at A&E departments, maternity units and in hospitals are put at risk as a result of the Tory-led governmentâ„¢s policies.
“The threat to almost 50% of the capital’s A&E services, to maternity units, to ICU places and to ambulance provision, as well as opening up the NHS to privatization, presents us with a grave risk to Londoners of all ages in every community,” said Louise Irvine, from the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign.
The UKâ„¢s National Health Service has been charged with making £20 billion in efficiency savings by 2015.
Earlier in January, up to 25,000 Britons marched to voice their anger against proposals to close services at Lewisham hospital in south London.
SSM/HE
This article originally appeared on : Press TV