Hands Off Hinchingbrooke campaign stages latest protest

PROTESTERS are to hold a demonstration at Hinchingbrooke Hospital as they continue their campaign against the privatisation of the service.

Activists from the Huntingdonshire Trades Union Council will join residents and other health campaigners outside the entrance to the hospital on Saturday (January 12) as part of the Hands Off Hinchingbrooke campaign.

To mark the start of 2013, campaigners plan to demonstrate with a list of New Year Resolutions for the hospital, including: “Privateers out of Hinchingbrooke in 2013” and: “Save Our Hospital, Defend Hinchingbrooke.”

The group will meet at the green area by the entrance of the hospital at 11.45am, ready for the demonstration between noon and 12.30pm.

They will then go to Huntingdon town centre for 1pm to gather signatures for their petition, as well as hand out leaflets about their campaign.

Hands Off Hinchingbrooke originally started in 2010 but failed in its attempt to stop a franchise being awarded to a private contractor.

However campaigners restarted the campaign last year in response to what Hunts TUC branch secretary Steve Sweeney called the Circle Partnership’s “spin”.

During the launch of last year’s campaign, medical director Hisham Abdel-Rahman said: “We will continue to work with our local trade union leaders to achieve efficiency at our hospital.”