Thousands of health workers protest over the Labour's handling of the NHS

4.25.42pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 2nd Nov 2006

Health workers from across the country demonstrated yesterday against the Government's handling of the NHS. NHS Together, an alliance of 16 health unions, protested over what it says is "unprecedented upheaval". The protest follows thousands of job cuts across the country and comes as a poll of 2,000 people showed over half believed the NHS had got worse in the last decade.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Steve Webb said "This lobby shows the depth of opposition within the NHS to the Government's rushed reforms. The NHS depends on the dedication of its staff who work hard to provide a high standard of care in an increasingly demoralising environment. The job cuts confirmed this week are only the tip of the iceberg - how many jobs have been lost to recruitment freezes and compulsory retirement?"