A RALLY organised by a mother-of-two saw scores of people descend on a North-East town to show their support for the NHS.

Politicians, union representatives and NHS workers all got behind the event in Darlington which called on the public to support the 999 campaign opposing changes to the NHS proposed in the Tory Health and Social Care Act.

Joanna Adams, 40, of Darlington, organised the rally, held on Saturady, after becoming angry with the Conservative government whom she believes is damaging the NHS through privatisation and budget cuts.

Her passionate speech, in which she described the NHS as “a shining beacon of humanity” won cheers from the crowd and she told The Northern Echo afterwards that it was up to ordinary people like her to fight for the service.

She said: “Just before Christmas my sister died of cancer and the NHS did such a wonderful job for her that the idea that the health service might not be available in the future for my children and for everyone was abhorrent to me.

“I couldn’t sit back and let that happen, because it seems that the politicians are happy to sit back.”

The government says that investment in the NHS will increase by £12.5 billion by 2015, but opposing politicians and some health professionals claim that plans to let private companies bid for healthcare contracts will irreversibly damage the NHS and threaten its principle of service free at the point of use.

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett was among the rally speakers and she told the crowd that the government’s proposed efficiency savings for the NHS actually meant that damaging cuts were being made to vital services.

She said: “If we don’t put up a fight we are going to see the end of a free NHS and we can’t allow that to happen.”

Mrs Bennett went on to say that it would be disastrous for the UK to follow a USA-style healthcare system where patients can only receive treatment if they are insured or can afford to pay.

She said: “We don’t want a system where the health care depends on how much you can pay.

“In the Green Party we believe in the principle of the NHS as a free health care provider owned by the public, run by the public, and loved by the public.”

Ian Mearns, Labour MP for Gateshead, said it was important to raise public awareness over what is happening to the NHS - which celebrated its 65th birthday this month.

“This rally isn’t the beginning and end, it is part of a much larger and much longer process,” he said.