ANGRY campaigners, patients and residents across Worcestershire are set to take part in a demonstration in the city centre this weekend.

It’s Our NHS Worcestershire (IONHSW), a group of campaigners made up of political parties, trade unions, campaign groups and individuals organised the rally to fight against service cuts, closures and privatisation of the NHS, whilst also drawing attention to the health service crisis in Worcestershire.

The event will also celebrate the NHS’ 69th birthday.

Those taking part can assemble on Saturday, June 24 at 11am on Mealcheapen Street. The march will begin at 11.30am and will end at Tramps Night Club in Angel Place, where a rally will be held at 12.30pm.

A spokesman for the group said: "The tragic deaths at Worcestershire Royal Hospital over the winter, the downgrading of services at community hospitals and the continuous threat of closure for local county hospitals prompted campaigners to hold a local demonstration.

"This is against a backdrop, nationally, of continued attacks on the contracts and pay of NHS workers, further cuts made under the guise of Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) and the privatisation of services by the Conservative government. It’s Our NHS Worcestershire supports all NHS workers and opposes any efforts to divert blame onto them."

But Worcester’s Conservative MP Robin Walker said no NHS cuts have been made in any of the key local budgets.

He said: "Funding in Worcestershire and across the UK is at its highest ever level and set to continue to increase.

"Both nationally and locally we are seeing increases each and every year in public funding for our health service and I am proud to support a health service which is free at the point of need.

"The Conservative manifesto promised a further £8 billion investment over and above inflation over the term of this parliament and this followed the decision of the previous government to provide billions more for the NHS in line with the recommendations of the NHS itself.

"I have long campaigned for extra resources for the health service in Worcester and will continue to do so.

"Our hospitals are due for an upgrade and I will be campaigning to ensure that upgrade is delivered as soon as possible so that the hard working staff in our local NHS get the facilities and the support they deserve."

He also pointed out that the STPs are clinically led rather than politically spearheaded.

The group have collected almost a thousand petition signatures and delivered thousands of leaflets leading up to the demonstration.

The demonstration has the formal support of many trade union branches, political parties and groups including Unite Acute Health, Worcester Trades Union Council, Bromsgrove Labour Party, Evesham Labour Party, National Union of Teachers Worcestershire, Unite Community Worcestershire, Musicians Union and UNISON Worcestershire.

Earlier this year, IONHSW took hundreds of Worcestershire residents from Worcester, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Malvern, Stourport and Kidderminster to London for a national demonstration, which saw hundreds of thousands turn out in defence of the NHS.

The group welcomes any support and donations to cover costs can be made payable to Unite Community Worcestershire.