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| Unison head the march from Cowley Road |
Organised by Oxfordshire Health Unison and Unite, Oxford's march for the NHS included representatives of Oxford Keep Our NHS Public, trade unions, health campaigners, the Labour and Green parties and the sympathetic public. Beginning on Cowley Road, the march proceeded down High Street, Cornmarket Street and ended with speeches on Broad Street.
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| Wolvercote Ward Labour Party parade down Cornmarket Street |
In order to capture the mood of the afternoon, a good friend of Reading Trades Union Council and the chair of Oxford & District Trades Union Council, Pól Ó Ceallaigh (Unison) has permitted the reprinting in full of his address to the rally:
"The
Health & Social Care Act 2012 introduced by the Tory-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government is the enabling legislation that allows for the
fragmentation and dismantling of the NHS.
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| Oxford & District Trades Union Council join the march |
"Despite what they may say both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats are responsible for the worst crisis in the NHS’s 70 years of existence.
"The deliberate underfunding of the NHS that has occurred in the last 8 years is clear for all to see. When they, the Coalition Government took office, few NHS Trusts were in deficit; now nearly all are as a direct result of this government’s policies.
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| Student nurses prepare to march |
"Insurance companies use 'Actuaries' to calculate the likelihood of something happening to their customers.
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| Pól Ó Ceallaigh (Unison) speaks for O&DTUC |
"So for example:
i. if a teacher retires at 55, actuarially they have a life expectancy of about 30 years.
ii. if they retire at 60, actuarially they have a life expectancy of about 10 years.
iii. if they retire at 65, actuarially they have a life expectancy of about 2 to 3 years.
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| Labour Councillor, Nadine Bely-Summers |
"Three years ago my nephew, who was 27 and working, went to his GP as he was feeling unwell. Eventually he was referred to a consultant for tests; all those came back negative. When he asked if it could be cancer, he was told that the type of cancer it could be normally only affects people over 50 so the Health Insurance Company would not pay for those tests.
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| March organiser, Ian McKendrick (Unison) |
"So after extended periods of illness, he lost his job due to sickness absence.
"My nephew then took a job in Munich in April last year where once again he was taken ill. They did do all the test there and the doctor could not believe that having ruled everything else out the Health Insurance Company in Ireland would not pay for the next set of tests as the symptoms all indicated that it was Oesophageal Cancer.
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| Pól Ó Ceallaigh (O&DTUC) and John Partington (RTUC) |
"In May last year he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Oesophageal Cancer, has undergone chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, and was given the all clear at the end of the course of treatment.
"On his second three-month follow up appointment, he was told that the cancer had returned.
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| Joan Boyd (second left, NEU) and John Partington (second right, TSSA) of RTUC |
"Last week he was given a prognosis of a year, give or take a few months.
"This is not some case where there are no symptoms, there were the classic symptoms of Oesophageal Cancer, but because it is UNUSUAL for people under 50 to get that, the so called Health Insurance company would not pay for the tests that could have discovered the cancer at an earlier stage and improved his chances of survival.
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| Oxford's cost-of-living crisis - causing an NHS staffing crisis |
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| Leaflets from the march |
After two hours, the approximately 300 marchers dispersed - many of whom will no doubt reassemble for the national march in London to celebrate the NHS's 70th anniversary on 30 June. From the RTUC, John Partington (TSSA) and Joan Boyd (NEU) marched in Oxford. It was a pleasure to join comrades in a cause of such monumental importance.
