This will be a chance for health workers, local government workers and users of the health service to show this government that we are proud of our National Health Service. We are proud that it is publicly owned and is free at the point of use and we intend to make sure it stays that way.
Surrey County Branch of UNISON is committed to defending the NHS and to campaigning against privatisation, cuts and closures. We have been fully involved in all the local NHS campaigns - including Epsom, St. Peter's, Ashford and the Royal Surrey campaigns. Through 'NHS Together' - an alliance of trade unions and local campaigns, we helped organised and build for rallies in Epsom, Chertsey, Guildford and Woking.
We will be organising to get as many Surrey UNISON members and service users to the demonstration on the 3rd as possible. If you are interested in coming along with the Surrey County UNISON contingent please contact us using the contact details on this page.
Paul Couchman, Acting Branch Secretary
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The Town Square, Woking, Surrey
Speakers:
Ken Callanan “The Surrey Petition”
Phil Wood, Regional Secretary, UNISON South East Region
Sarah Dodsworth, Regional Officer Royal College of Nursing
Karin Peluso, Health Campaigner + others
Called by NHS Together - North & West Surrey and organised by Mick Moriarty.
Our aim is to send a powerful message in celebration and defence of the NHS. We appeal to all members of the public, all members of our sister Trade Unions to come along to this rally. We want to send out a message that the people of Surrey along with the Trade Union Movement will make every effort to campaign nationally, regionally and in Surrey to “save the NHS and keep it working”.
The rally will also aim to continue building for a Surrey campaign into one that is non party political, broad based and aims to save the threatened services of both St Peters (Chertsey, Surrey) & Royal Surrey County (Guildford, Surrey) hospitals.
Some people are working to save the services at either hospital and not both. The fact of the matter is that if one hospital was to lose services such as A&E this would, in turn, put intolerable stress on the surviving hospital.
As such “Not Either But Neither” should be the underlying campaign theme to defend our hospitals all working together with one voice insisting on “NEITHER”.
We are talking about and making an appeal to build a broad based alliance to defend the services, values and ethos of our NHS to build on the principles of co-operation and collaboration.
As nothing should be more important than the campaign to save the NHS at Ashford and St Peters along with the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
We also appeal to the people to make submissions to the eagerly awaited “Fit for the Future” public Consultation exercise which is hopefully to be published in May 2007. We call on the people for Surrey to make a submission to the exercise in their tens or thousands, then and only then can we all make a difference. If you want to reserve a copy of the consultation document we advise you to write to:
Communication Department, Surrey PCT, Bournewood House, Guildford Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0QA
Mick has also organised "Rock to Save the NHS". 2pm - 10pm at the HG Wells Centre, Woking. Tickets £5 on the door or can be bought at the 3rd March rally. Download the flyer
12 midday on Saturday 2nd December 2006
Abbey Fields Recreation Ground, Windsor Street, Chertsey, Surrey
(1 min from Chertsey Railway Station)
Speakers from the campaign + others TBA
Open to all members of the public
Please pass the attached leaflet to all members, colleagues, family, friends, neighbours, please ask your local shops to put the leaflet in their window: NHS Together Rally leaflet
For further details call Mick Moriarty on 0870 770 1112
Paul Greenwood from the NHS Together Coordinating Committee and the FBU has set up a blog for the campaign. Contributions are more than welcome:
NHS Together (Surrey)
Assemble 10.30am Saturday 25 November
Rosehill Recreation Ground (Sutton Junior Tennis centre car park)
March via Rosehill to St. Helier Hospital
Please download and read the latest newsletter from Epsom & St. Helier UNISON Health Branch. Print out and display the poster advertising the next March and Rally on 25 November.
The Epsom hospital recently had its emergency services downgraded and is facing further cuts to slash £24 million from the Trust's budget. Cuts include the loss of 480 jobs and 200 beds.
The Royal Surrey Hospital (Guildford) could lose its entire Accident & Emergency service. A&E at St. Peters (Chertsey) is also under threat. Neighbouring hospitals where closures have already been implemented are struggling to cope under the increased demand from drastic health service reduction.
All cuts, profiteering from our public services and gambling with peoples lives must be stopped!
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