On Saturday 28th local high street branches of different banks were transformed into hospitals in a 'UK Uncut's Emergency Operation'. Anti-cuts activists from several parts of London followed the call to "tell the government to leave our NHS alone; it's the banks that are sick" [read full call].

Video reports: Emergency Operation, Camden | Save Homerton hospital | Emergency Operation: Wood Green | Angel RBS Occupation |

UK Uncut's Call to Action:

"The NHS will last as long as there are folk left to fight for it."
- Nye Bevan, founder of the NHS

"Andrew Lansley. Greedy Andrew Lansley. Tosser."
- MC NxtGen

This is an emergency. The welfare state is in peril. Under the guise of ‘efficiency' and ‘reform', this government is plotting to cut the NHS and sell off what's left. Andrew Lansley has claimed the government is in a ‘listening exercise' about the proposed NHS ‘reforms'. But despite widespread outcry from doctors, nurses and the public the government isn't listening to anyone apart from private healthcare lobbyists.

Let's make Lansley listen. We want to keep our healthy NHS and fix our broken banking system. Whilst the NHS is being dismantled, the banks that caused this crisis in the first place have been left untouched. Reckless gambling, obscene bonuses and a global financial crisis are symptoms of a disease that requires a drastic intervention.

The banks are due a check-up. On Saturday May 28th, join UK Uncut's Emergency Operation and transform your local high street bank into a hospital. Tell the government to leave our NHS alone; it's the banks that are sick.

Turn HSBC into a hospital, fill Natwest with nurses, get bandaged in Barclays and operate in RBS. As usual, it's up to you to organise an action in your area - so talk to your friends, your local union branch and anti-cuts group and then list an action on our website. All the resources you'll need will be on our website, including a flyer to tell the public about the NHS emergency. Get organised, get creative and let's make Lansley listen: leave our NHS alone and make the banks pay.

See you on the high streets.

Report from Wood Green:

28 May 2011: NHS activists joined the anti-austerity campaigning group UK Uncut to occupy Lloyd's Bank in Wood Green, London this Saturday. Up to 30 campaigners dressed in doctors' and nurses' uniforms with fake blood set up an "emergency operating theatre" inside the bank. Supporters of the Defend Whittington Hospital Coalition, Haringey Alliance for Public Services and Right To Work campaign chanted "Bail out the NHS, not the banks!" Children tried to operate on a toy version of Andrew Lansley, health secretary, and passers by signed 'Save Our NHS' petitions blaming the banks and government for the financial crisis -- not the NHS.

NHS worker Terry McGrath said, "I took part because the banks, who caused the financial crisis, are still making billions in profits, whilst the NHS is being attacked. We wanted to show that people will not stand for these cuts, and I want to see Cameron buckle under the pressure of growing strikes and widespread protests."


Report from Angel:

The NHS is not for sale!
On Saturday 28 May, Angel, North London, was the site of a drop-in surgery for people worried about the bad effects of the cuts on their health. This event was called by Fight racism! Fight Imperialism as part of the UK Uncut day of action to save the NHS.

Doctors, nurses and patients set up their cuts consultation inside the Angel branch of RBS, recipient of £45 billion of bail out money -- 40% of the annual NHS budget!
The patients' recovery was assisted by ukulele players and energetic speeches, making sure that the public understood why we were there.

The banks got bailed out, and now we are being sold out. Hospitals are making swingeing cuts and the health and social care bill is about to abolish the duty of the secretary of state for health to ensure health provision for everyone.

We are being told we have to swallow this bad medicine because of the national debt. However, as one of the speakers pointed out, the national debt in post-war Britain, when the NHS was set up, was greater than it is now.

Speakers also talked about Private Finance Initiatives and the debt that hospitals are in due to the 30-60 year contracts that they have signed, which will see them paying many times over the costs of the initial investment from private firms.

The condition of the patients in the bank got worse as they heard this depressing news, however, they perked up immensely when one of the nurses took to the megaphone and talked about Cuba and their incredible achievements in health and education: their low infant mortality, their high doctor to patient ratio and their health internationalism. In fact, during the most difficult economic times of the Special Period in the 1990s, Cuba increased their health coverage, increased the numbers of doctors and nurses and didn't shut down a single health clinic, service or hospital.

The security staff and tellers in RBS seemed receptive to our words - clearly they aren't the ones getting the bonuses.

Now is the time to collectively make our voices heard and this event, along with all the other banks occupied on the day, was a very good start.