CAMPAIGNERS will take their fight against what they see as the erosion of the NHS to the streets of the capital next month.

A mass demonstration has been organised to bring together campaign groups from across the country – they will converge in London on March 4 and the Swindon People’s Assembly will be among them.

The group is also extending an open invitation for anyone else who may share their concerns about the direction of the health service to join them and travel by coach on the day.

Tickets will cost between £5 and £20 with different pricing for those who are working and those who are not.

The coach from Swindon will leave the car park on Chapel Street at 8.30am on the day, cars can be left at this carpark all day free of charge.

The group is then due to leave London following the demonstration at 5.30pm, it is expected to arrive back in Swindon at 8.30pm.

The coach from Swindon will be joined by others from around the country with joint organisers The People’s Assembly and Health Campaigns Together hoping for a turnout in the thousands.

The main message of the event centres around opposition to what campaigners argue are unsustainable cuts in real terms funding, closures of much needed infrastructure and the creeping influence of private firms.

They are calling for a fully funded, publicly owned, NHS and social care service and an end to the ‘pay restraint’ for NHS staff.

Kate Linnegar, of the Swindon People’s Assembly, said: “Look at the headlines in the Swindon Advertiser. They tell us that locally the NHS and its supporting social services are struggling to deliver an acceptable and safe service.

“We are told that the Great Western Hospital was at a state of red or black alert for at least 21 consecutive days in January.

“Someone else reported watching a patient die on a trolley in a corridor recently and that patient safety is being hit by our GPs’ workload.

“The government will not admit that this is caused by underfunding and staff shortages; they have blamed the junior doctors, followed by the GPs, then the patients for going to A&E unnecessarily - and finally, migrants.

“Migrants are contributing positively to our economy and therefore our NHS. Health tourism is only 0.3 per cent of the total cost of the NHS.

“These are tactics to turn our attention away from their dismal failure to fund and keep safe our NHS.

“If you care about the NHS and are worried about future services, please come on the march. This government will continue to take it all away unless we kick up a stink.”

For more information about the coach from Swindon, you can email peoplesassemblyswindon@gmx.co.uk or call the office on 01793 522824.

To book tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/swindon-coach-to-nhs-demo-london-4th-march-tickets-31802776962