Tens of thousands of people marched down London's Downing Street on Feb. 3 protesting the British National Health Service (NHS) funding crisis, according to The Guardian.
Organized by the People's Assembly and Health Campaigns Together, the march ("NHS in Crisis - Fix it Now") called for Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to properly fund hospital beds and medical staff. On its 70th anniversary, the NHS struggled through the winter, with hospitals and medical staff under significant strain.
“There is widespread concern that austerity we’ve seen in the last seven years has basically put the NHS on its knees. In an attempt to drive efficiency in the system, to deliver the same for less money, we are now seeing poorer quality of care,” said Harry Quilter-Pinner, a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research.
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the NHS on Twitter, saying," The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working. Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!"
The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working. Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018
The People's Assembly responded in a statement that they were campaigning against an American-style healthcare system that is "expensive, inefficient and unjust."
The Guardian reports:
Nicky Romero sobbed as she told of the death of her daughter, Becky. A coroner found Becky’s suicide was linked to NHS failings after the 15-year-old was discharged from a psychiatric ward, despite self-harming on the same day and her parents’ pleas that she be kept in hospital.
The schoolgirl died in July 2017. “What kind of future will our children have if they can’t get the help they need?” her mother asked. “If the NHS was properly funded my daughter might still be alive.”
Read more here.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!
