Saturday 5 July 2025 marked the 77th anniversary of the founding of the National Health Service. Keep Our NHS Public activists from around the country organised local events to celebrate the NHS. The message from these successful local events was clear: we need to protect our NHS for future generations.
Today, 77 years after it was founded, the NHS is in a state of crisis. Successive governments have waged ideological war on the NHS, which today is underfunded, understaffed and increasingly undermined by the involvement of private companies.
A year after their election, the Labour Government is continuing the Conservative’s attacks on the National Health Service. The recently announced Ten-Year Plan does not inspire very much optimism, as the Government seems intent on ‘managed decline’ rather than transformation.
Keep Our NHS Public will continue to campaign for an NHS that is publicly provided, funded and accountable, and free at the point of need for all. Our members came out en masse to fight for just this on the 77th Birthday of the NHS.
See below for a collection of photographs from the Day of Action!
Activists in Bristol brought slices of birthday cake to NHS staff at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and organised a stall to speak to passers-by.
Activists from Oxfordshire came together with a lively stall and songs to raise awareness about the privatisation of ear and eye services in Oxfordshire, complete with fantastic handmade placards.
Cambridgeshire KONP marked the 77th anniversary of the NHS and the 77th anniversary of the Nakba. With speakers and music, cupcakes, water melon slices and strawberries, they leafleted and called for investment in the NHS not private firms, welfare not warfare, and for signatures to a petition for NHS England against the 500 jobs being cut at Addenbrookes hospital.
Leeds KONP and End Social Care Disgrace came together outside Leeds Royal Infirmary, for the NHS and social care, and against NHS privatisation.
In the North East, KONP members did a lively stall and leafletting session in Newcastle city centre.
Lewisham KONP also hosted a busy stall, speaking to residents about the issues affecting their local hospital and much more.
Southampton KONP were out on 5th July 2025 with a street stall as part of the national day of action. They gave out hundreds of the excellent leaflet “message to Starmer” warning of the dangers of privatisation. They were also joined by musician Mark Handley, whose songs about the NHS are brilliant!
Finally, our members in Lambeth joined together on Westminster bridge to argue that the Government ‘Fund the NHS to suceed’ and not ‘underfund it to fail!’
As a retired nurse; my full sympathy and thanking to all the satff at the NHS standing for NO privatization. sad that people are not concious of the risk of privatization .I hope the voice of the NHS staff like you all is alive. Please let me kow the website with evetns in Leeds to give support for the fight to keep NHS an no to privatise it
Many thanks all the best and big thanks to all of you.
Hello m. Rojas,
Thank you very much for your comment and words of support.
Information about Leeds KONP can be found via this page: https://keepournhspublic.com/localgroup/leeds-konp
Thank you