DEMONSTRATORS dressed up as Richard Branson and as doctors gathered outside an urgent care centre today (Tuesday, June 2), amid claims the government is "misleading" the public over NHS privatisation.

Dozens of health campaigners unfurled a giant banner outside the Hartlepool One Life Centre in a protest, accusing the government of covering up the fact that private company Virgin Care runs urgent care services there.

Robert Price, chair of the North-East National Health Action party, and of Hartlepool Green Party, said the NHS was being "privatised by stealth" and the demonstration was to highlight to people that more and more NHS services were being provided by private companies.

He said: "People don't realise it is happening because they are allowed to use the NHS symbol rather than their own.

"Since 2012 some 40 per cent of NHS contracts have gone to private companies.

"Virgin spends millions promoting their brand. Their logo appears on everything they run - on trains, planes, even wine bottles. But when it comes to its NHS business, they've suddenly become shy.

"It is wrong to allow private companies to use the NHS brand to provide services for those who are ill and vulnerable and to portray themselves as doing so as part of the NHS."

A spokesman for Virgin Care said: "Like any provider of NHS-funded services, we are required by the Department of Health to use the NHS logo so patients can clearly identify them as being part of the NHS.

"Virgin Care has been providing NHS services for almost ten years and last year more than 80 per cent of patients gave a nine or ten out of ten when asked to rate their experience.”

In a joint statement Dr Paul Williams and Dr Nick Timlin, Locality Leads for NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "We are privileged to work in an area where people feel especially strongly about the NHS services and facilities available to them.

"As local doctors we feel a real sense of duty and responsibility to make sure the immense trust our patients have in the NHS is well-placed and deserved. We’re pleased to have the benefit of residents who are willing to share their experiences and aspirations, willing get involved in public discussions about healthcare, willing to step forward and tell us what is important to them and their families, and willing to campaign publicly on the issues that matter to them."

They said the active involvement of local people was important to get the right local services, and that all organisations, including NHS and voluntary sector, underwent the same procurement process. Virgin's contract is in place until March next year.