DEFEND STAFFORD HOSPITAL! DEFEND THE NHS! No to ‘independent’ administrators decision!

Stafford Socialist Party members including Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition county council election candidate Jim Reading took to the streets of Stafford on Saturday to speak to people about the administrators decision to butcher parts of Stafford hospital.

We set up our campaigning stall in our usual spot outside Iceland. Hundreds of people queued up to sign our petition and take away our  leaflets along with Support Stafford Hospital leaflets advertising the first administrators ‘consultation’ public meeting.

Everyone we spoke to agreed with us – that the greatest threat that Stafford hospital faces along with the rest of the NHS is privatisation.

Within an hour we had sold 50 copies of the Socialist – all that we had - and £45 was donated to our fighting fund to pay for more leaflets.

Below is an extract from our leaflets which were also given out to people attending last Wednesday's Support Stafford Hospital public meeting in the Gatehouse Theatre;

DEFEND STAFFORD HOSPITAL! DEFEND THE NHS!

No to ‘independent’ administrators decision!

The ‘independent’ administrators have spoken, announcing more or less what they decided months ago because it fits in with the government’s plans to dismantle the whole of our NHS.

Our reply should be clear:

• We do not accept your verdict.
• We want all Stafford’s hospital services to remain along with adequate staffing levels.
• We want nothing less than Stafford to be part of a fully funded, publicly owned NHS run in the interests of all not the profits of a few.

“But we can’t afford it” they will say.

We disagree;

The government has spent billions bailing out banks so it can do the same with the NHS.

Instead of sacking more tax inspectors they should employ more to collect the £120 billion a year corporation tax which is ‘avoided’ or ‘evaded’ by big business companies. 

Step up the Campaign to Defend Stafford hospital! 

We should use Stafford’s high media profile to call a national meeting of the many groups around the country who are campaigning to defend hospitals and NHS services.

We should mobilise Stafford to attend the “Save our NHS” protest at the Conservative Party conference on 29 September. (see opposite)

We want a maximum turn out at the ‘consultation’ meetings. Lets make our voice heard! But we also need regular meetings organised by Support Stafford Hospital open to all campaigners to discuss and plan an ongoing campaign to defend Stafford hospital.

JOIN TUC ‘Save Our NHS’ rally at Tory conference in Manchester

THOUSANDS of trade unionists including NHS workers will tell the Conservative Party conference to ‘save our  NHS’ as anger mounts at the effects of cuts, privatisation and the increasing fragmentation of the health service.

Marchers will speak out for jobs and services as they bring their opposition to the plans to dismantle the NHS to the opening Sunday of the Manchester conference. 

The Save Our NHS march & rally takes place in the city on Sunday 29 September.

Support Stafford Hospital and trade union branches across Staffordshire should book buses to join this demonstration.

No more Tory, Lib Dem or Labour cuts, closures or privatisation!