Shropshire Star

NHS at heart of political rally in Shrewsbury

The future of the NHS was the focal point of a rally in Shrewsbury.

Published

Organised by the Shropshire People's Assembly Against Austerity and the Shropshire & Telford Trades Union Council, the rally was held in The Square on Saturday.

Attending were groups who were concerned about the future of the NHS, including the Labour Party, the Green Party, Unite, Age UK, Unison and the Communist Party of Britain.

The groups say they are worried that a review of Shropshire's hospital services could result in an A&E department being removed from a hospital.

Earlier this year the programme board of NHS Future Fit, which is carrying out the review, announced six options for the future structure of Shropshire's hospitals, with only one recommending both hospitals retain acute services.

Gill George, chairwoman of Shropshire Defend Our NHS and said the rally was an opportunity for people to get together and celebrate the NHS.

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She said: "Locally the big issue is the potential closure of the A&E in Shrewsbury, when nobody wants it closed.

"One hospital could not provide A&E for the 540,000 people, across 2,000 square miles, that it would have to cover.

"It is not being overly dramatic to say that these cuts could cost lives."

"I feel we are at a turning point in our society, where we have to decide whether we want to live in a society that looks after people or one that doesn't care."

David Laurence, a representative of the Trade Unions Council, said

: "We don't want to end up with a situation like America, where if you need a major operation, you have to sell your house to get it."

The rally coincided with a day of action in support of the NHS organised nationally by 38 Degrees, one of the UK's biggest campaigning communities.

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