Local campaigners have stalled the decision to hand out the management of NHS Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust to a private contractor - see report on the BBC here and get the latest updates from Stroud Against Cuts.
However this will not be enough to stop the 'hand grenade' of privatisation in Stroud, in Gloucestershire or anywhere else. There is a now huge mood for action to save the NHS but unfortunately so far this has not been provided with a leadership. The trade union leaders have not called a mass demonstration in defence of the health service which, if it was properly built for around clear slogans and an on-going programme of struggle, could get a phenomenal response, given the mood of rage on the issue. An indoor evening lobby in March is not sufficient. The Socialist Party calls for a massive Saturday demo as a start of a determined united campaign to save and rebuild our NHS, with trade union strike action at its heart. Local campaigns should also link up and support this action.
All of this will deal a huge blow to ConDem plans to disamantle our health service, but will not address the issue that all the main political parties are basically in agreement on this issue. We need a a mass workers' party whose representatives would stand to defend the NHS and oppose all privatisation. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is an important step towards this and should be supported by all who wish to save our NHS.
Read this weeks' editorial from the Socialist on this issue here: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/13694/08-02-2012/save-the-nhs
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