Manchester steps up fight against health service cuts

Government cuts have put 999 and other health services on the chopping block in 10 Manchester council areas.

Campaign groups have sprung up around threatened centres including Bolton, Wigan, Tameside, North Manchester and Trafford - the birthplace of the National Health Service - and they have organised a summit to co-ordinate action and strategy.

The summit begins at 12 noon on Saturday February 16 at Friends Meeting House on Mount Street in Manchester.

It has been organised by Greater Manchester Association of Trades Union Councils (GMATUC) and Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public (KONP).

Speakers will include Dr John Lister of the national Health Emergency campaign and Dr David Wrigley, a local GP, from KONP.

Five A&E units across Greater Manchester could be closed, and the one in Rochdale has already shut its doors.

Other local NHS services have been privatised or face closure.

GMATUC president Stephen Hall said: "This is the biggest threat to our NHS in Greater Manchester since it was founded here by Nye Bevan in 1948.

"We want to build a broad-based mass campaign to defend local accident and emergency units and NHS services which are now under threat in the name of efficiency and cost-cutting.

"The NHS is a much-loved public service. Now the public need to stand up to save it. People power can save our NHS."