This morning I visited my NHS dentist and was very grateful for some free treatment they carried out. I have always valued the National Health Service as Nye Bevan visited my nan’s house many years ago in London to award her a prize for the ’best garden’.

I then made my way to the Royal Liverpool Hospital on Prescot St. for a demo to support the NHS. A blustery and at times rainy day didn’t prevent over 100 people from turning out to condemn Andrew Lansley’s Health and Social Care Bill.

Many pensioners also sat in the hospital café to show their support.

The Bill will effectively dismantle our free health service and hand it over to greedy companies whose priority will surely be to maximise profits for themselves.

The Socialist Choir sang some rousing political songs and a man with a megaphone kept up some lively banter so all those passing knew why we were there.

Buses and cars beeped in support too.

I spoke to some people and asked for their comments on why they were on the protest.

Sam Semoff long term campaigner for ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ said,“Because the NHS was one of the greatest achievements of the last century, to see it torn asunder tears me up. Nye Bevan’s speech ‘Freedom from Fear’, which was written just after the war, should be required reading for everyone. In the States (where Sam is from originally) when you wake up you think ‘how you gonna pay for it?’. Pensioners remember as kids the trauma when someone was ill.”

Mr Arthur Eyo from Melling said,“The young ones are walking past ignorant of the fact that in a few years time they won’t have a free health service. They’ll have to pay.

Jack Jones (former head of Pensioners Association and T&GWU) had a quote, ‘Don’t whinge, organise’”

His wife said,“I get annoyed because no one seems to care. Where I live it’s more conservative, I’ve been taking forms round and and people say No it’s too political. They’re all pensioners and no one’s bothered.”

A female member of the Royal staff and Unite union told me, “We’re trying to defend ALL public services”

Her colleague a staff nurse said,“This impacts upon staff and patients, obviously, in relation to the P. F. I. (Private Finance Initiative). It’s not value for money if they never own the hospital.”

PFI funding was used to build new hospitals which were then forced to make payments above the market rate. This creates wealth for the money men.

Janet Bennett said,“It’s important we make our Government change their minds. In London they are closing down a hospital (St. Mary’s in Paddington) to sell the land to property developers”

The third reading of the Health Bill is September 7th.