I WAS collecting signatures from Worcester shoppers on a petition to save our NHS.

Most people were only too glad to support stopping privatisation and increasing funding.

When reading sad stories about patients left for hours in corridors, and the desperate attempts of dedicated staff to help them, it’s worth noting that the UK has the second lowest number of hospital beds per person in Europe.

Privatisation? Worcestershire Royal Hospital was built through the Private Finance Initiative.

It belongs to the private companies that borrowed money (at higher rates that the Government would have paid) to build it.

Being a tenant, it has to pay rent, which over years will amount to far more than the original cost.

All PFI hospitals have this huge financial burden which has nothing to do with healthcare.

The Government is hoping people won’t notice that it is trying to push through rules that would force the groups of GPs (CCGs) that now buy healthcare for us to put out to competitive tendering every contract worth over £625,000.

Private health companies' first concern is not healthcare but profits for their shareholders.

Our NHS needs the NHS Reinstatement Bill. See nhsbill2015.org.

You can give your support and put it to your Parliamentary candidates.

Patricia Woodcock

Harvington