contribution by Sean Gittins

On July 5th 2011 the National Health Service turned 63. With Andrew Lansley’s recent attempts to privatise our health service battered but nowhere near being defeated, the birthday was an opportunity to show support for the NHS as it was originally intended to be – a provider of free health care for all.

A composite of groups including UK Uncut, NHS Direct Action, Unite, health workers and individual supporters of the NHS (and, of course, a healthy dose of police) were just some of the many who gathered on Savoy Street to march to Westminster to demonstrate their belief in the guiding principles that were the core of Nye Bevan’s original NHS creation.

It seemed there were over a 1000 people in the march once it started to get going. It was bright and loud. People sported fancy dress costumes, banners, flags and the colours of their respective organisations as drums and chants heightened the volume and atmosphere.

Once moving, we began to make our way down the Strand towards Trafalgar and into Westminster.

Halfway down Whitehall some of the march broke away to protest outside 79 Whitehall, or the Department of Health as it is also known. Repeated calls for Andrew Lansley to appear unforunately led to no cameo appearance from the Minister for Health.

The march concluded just beyond Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament. Crowds gathered around to listen to a range of speakers including General Secretary of Unite Len McClusky, Jackie Davis, Dr Ron Stringer, medical student Rita Issa and UK Uncut activist Joe Beardsmore.

As the last speech game to its conclusion the rain began to pour down. But there was still time for the most classic of birthday traditions as everyone joined in and sang Happy Birthday to the NHS.

As Rita Issa noted in the last speech of the day, the creation of the NHS was seen by many of its opponents as a social reform necessary to stem a political revolution. Perhaps now that the Coalition proposes to take away our social reform it is time to call for that political revolution again?

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   Report: NHS birthday march yesterday http://bit.ly/pey52i

2. Sean Gittins

   Report: NHS birthday march yesterday http://bit.ly/pey52i

3. The NHS’s 63rd Birthday – My latest post at Liberal Conspiracy « Crashed Aspidistra

   [...] http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/07/06/report-nhs-birthday-march-yesterday/ [...]