Protesters mount last ditch defense of NHS

This afternoon protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Health on Whitehall to mount a last ditch defense of the National Health Service.

There was as much anger directed at the Liberal Democrats as the Conservatives in government. One protester even described the proposed reforms as supported by the “Liberal Democrat coalition”, few seemed to buy the idea that the Lib Dems had lessened the impact of these reforms which need to be scrapped rather than amended.

After a rally outside the Ministry the protesters blocked Whitehall for around half an hour with no sign of riot police, who were probably occupied with two rival pro- and anti- Assad demonstrations near the Syrian embassy. When blue capped police officers did begin to line up to kettle the protest it set off across London staying mobile in order to stay out of any police entrapments.

With a handful of police officers there were some tussles as police attempted to prevent the progress of the impromptu march but despite the fact that your intrepid reporter was shoved hard in the chest there was no repeat of some of the excesses that have been seen on previous demonstrations.

The wide ranging reforms of the Health Service, that were not contained in any party manifesto in 2010, are seen as a fundamental attack on the NHS which will fragment and marketise the service.