Residents across Ealing joined with campaign group Ealing Save Our NHS on Saturday (1 July 2023) to take part in what was called a ‘Celebration and Protest’ outside Ealing Hospital to mark the 75th year of the National Health Service.
As well as listening to singing and music, supporters and members of the public heard speeches from doctors, campaigners and politicians including Ealing Southall MP Virendra Sharma, GLA member for Ealing & Hillingdon Dr Onkar Sahota, Dr Sonia Adesara from Keep Our NHS Public and Councillor Aysha Raza.
Ealing Save Our NHS Secretary Eve Turner said: “Before the NHS it was common for people to go without treatment. People without sufficient funds had to rely on an assortment of charities for treatment – something that still applies in many parts of the world. With nearly seven and a half million people now on waiting lists, we’re worried that we’re gradually heading back to those days because of the underfunding of our NHS. ”
NHS Doctors Sonia Adesara, Kate Crossland and GLA member Dr Onkar Sahota all shared their concerns about the serious understaffing and under-resourcing of the Service. Other speakers also expressed support for the staff who in desperation are taking strike action and in many cases, leaving their jobs altogether.
Ms Turner added: “We’d like to thank to everyone who came along on Saturday. Our cherished National Health Service is a lifeline for all and it totally rests on the efforts of overworked and underpaid staff, who keep it afloat despite the lack of funding. We owe them such a debt, but it seems the Government are deliberately in denial about this crisis. Perhaps they hope that as the NHS is undermined, more people will turn to costly privatised services – but even the privatise hospitals draw on the NHS for training and back up and they do not cover many vital services and procedure.”
Dr Kate Crossland said: “I want to thank our NHS workers for finding ways to get patients the care they need despite the challenges, and the British public for their ongoing support despite the narrative that the system is broken.”
Ealing Save Our NHS says it has also collected hundreds of messages of support for NHS staff, some of which will be presented on Wednesday 5th July – the exact date of the NHS foundation all those years ago.
 to take part in what was called a 'Celebration and Protest' outside Ealing Hospital to mark the 75th year of the National Health Service.){kind=link}