Recent weeks have seen a surge of local activity in defence of the NHS. Campaigners are opposed to cutbacks hitting the health service, as elsewhere, but also about proposed “reforms” of the NHS which critics claim will lead to widespread privatisation and a much reduced service.

Upcoming event: Save our NHS: Kill the Bill, April 21st, 7pm, The Mechanics, North Sherwood St.

On the newswire: The Cruellest Cut | Cuts Protest @ Vodafone, Boots, NatWest, TopShop.. | Notts UK Uncut occupied Lloyds TSB Bank Nottingham | Save Our NHS Demo, Standard Court

On April 1st, as part of a national day of action dubbed “All Together for the NHS,” health service workers gathered in the courtyard outside of the Standard Court offices, Nottingham. Unison organised a lunchtime demonstration against the planned cuts which are putting many jobs within Nottingham City NHS at risk. Commissioning staff and Community Mental Health Workers are currently at risk of redundancy.

On Saturday 9th April, Notts Uncut occupied Lloyds TSB and created “The Big Society Hospital”. The intention was to draw attention to the NHS reform white paper and the cuts across the NHS that this will lead to. After about half an hour of chants, informative speeches and a quiz (with prizes!) Lloyds decided to close so campaigners moved on and visited Vodafone, NatWest, TopShop, Boots, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins. The event attracted considerable media coverage on both BBC East Midlands and Central TV as well as the Nottingham Post.

Concern has also been raised about the termination of daycare at Hayward House Macmillan Specialist Palliative Cancer Care Unit. Hayward House is funded by a Primary Care Trust, whose Commissioners have made the decision to stop daycare on 1st September. Some different kind of service, but not daycare, will be offered after Sept 1st, but nobody yet knows what. Staff are not allowed to campaign on this issue, and patients are too ill. However, volunteers are angry, and free and able to campaign; although there have been no meetings and no formal campaign exists as yet, some volunteers are starting to write letters to publicise this attack on the dying.

With the government having postponed its planned restructure of the NHS, campaigners are continuing to push forward, hoping to finish off their plans for good. A public meeting is planned and will likely generate further action in and around Nottingham.