NHS Day of Action @ BTC

As part of the NHS Day of Action there was a small meet-up outside the Birmingham Treatment Centre to protest against the reconfiguration plans proposed by the Trust in the document Shaping Hospital Services for the Future. A small group turned out to hear from Chris Rickards (UNISON Branch Secretary, City), Esther Lowe (UNISON regional organiser), our very own Ken Taylor (Spokesman, City Hospital Supporters Group) and Malcolm Cantello (President, UNISON), as well as an impromptu speech by local resident Rageev Hassan on his successful efforts at door-to-door petition signing on behalf of the group. Ken Taylor claimed it was the first time he had ever got on a soapbox (which given the number of the campaigns he has been in over the years sounds quite surprising) and this indicated the seriousness of the current proposals. Entertainment was provided by a marvellous steel band, and there was some media coverage including a reporter from the Birmingham Post and a Midlands Today camera crew as well as yours truly of course.

A coach took most of the people on to the main rally in Victoria square that was part of the national day of action. I left with a copy of Socialist Worker, a RESPECT leaflet and a flyer for a trade union meeting. It was just like being a student again...