Bristol NHS Day of Action

38 Degrees members in Bristol were out in force on Saturday 28th February, talking to people across the city about the need to protect our NHS. Over 250 members of 38 Degrees – including the Bristol West and Bristol North West 38 Degrees groups – hit the streets to gather thousands of signatures for local petitions to protect the NHS.

The petitions call for MP candidates in each constituency in Bristol to do everything they can to protect the NHS, including:

* Stopping privatisation
* Making sure it has the funding it needs to provide high quality healthcare to everyone
* Protecting it from US health corporations by keeping the NHS out of TTIP

Nathan Williams, a 38 Degrees member from Bristol West, said: “We all need the NHS at our best and worst moments in life. That’s why I’ll be going out this Saturday to spread the word about our campaign and collect signatures on our local petition.

Bristol West’s day of action will show our MP candidates that if they want to sell off or run down our NHS, they’ll have a fight on their hands.”

The day received plenty of coverage in local press – all of which will help make sure that local candidates know the extent to which Bristolians are willing to go to protect the NHS. BBC West and ITV also did summaries of all the actions going on in the Bristol area.

38 Degrees members gathered outside Boots at the Galleries in the centre of town, and outside Henleaze Library in Bristol North West at 11am. Together, we shared ideas for how to approach people with our petition, and some of us even put on doctor’s scrubs and made eye-catching placards. Our aim was to make sure the NHS was on everybody’s mind!

Then, we split up across the city, in groups of 3 or 4 to start gathering signatures. Most people were really keen to find out more about the campaign, and signed the petition. We heard some moving stories of personal experiences of the NHS, of lives saved and hard working doctors and nurses.

Together, we sent a powerful signal that people in Bristol aren’t prepared to watch as politicians break apart our NHS, selling off bits to private companies who’ll cream off profits. We all need the NHS at our best and worst moments in life. Together, we built the best healthcare system in the world. It belongs to all of us and we’re all proud of it.

You can watch a video of the day of action here.

If you’d like to take part in the next NHS day of action in Bristol, or attend other local 38 Degrees events, you can find out about everything going by clicking on your area below:
Bristol West
Bristol North West
Bristol East
Bristol South