PROTESTERS gathered outside Sajid Javid’s office in Bromsgrove calling on the MP to vote against the health and care bill.

Campaigners were out in full force on September 17, holding placards and banners to show their objection to the proposed health and care bill.

The Bill is currently processing through the House of Commons after being introduced in July.

A significant provision within the Bill is changes to competition rules which has caused concern over the level of private sector involvement within the health service.

It has prompted anti-privatisation campaigners to warn the Bill may allow contracts to be awarded to private healthcare providers without proper scrutiny.

Judi Byrne, a retired senior NHS professional from Bromsgrove echoed these concerns. She said: “If this bill succeeds the NHS as we have known, will be gone - it allows private health care companies to make decisions about how our NHS is funded and run.

“Underfunding, closing, downgrading hospitals and services forcing the NHS to struggle (pre covid) have all played a part in this Bill which will allow private care companies to dive in and try and make a profit. No one should try to profit from Illness.

“During the protest talking with local residents it is obvious that most people do not know what is happening to the NHS

“This Bill will change everything and open the floodgates.”

The protest was part of a national campaign named “NHS New Deal’ which calls on the government to scrap the health and care Bill in favour of a deal without risk of privatisation.

The Bill also includes measures to extend powers for the Secretary of State to direct NHS England and to decide how some health services are organised.

There are also measures to simplify how people with ongoing care needs are discharged from hospital.