Nearly two hundred campaigners joined a rally and march in Chelmsford’s High Street against NHS budget cuts.

Campaigners gathered in Chelmsford High Street at noon on Saturday to protest against plans to cut a further £400 million from the NHS budget in mid and south Essex over the next few years, and a proposal to merge Broomfield Hospital with those in Southend and Basildon.

Under the plans, which are open to public consultation at the moment, Basildon will become the ‘specialist’ emergency centre for the area.

Protesters were addressed by councillor Stephen Robinson for the Lib-Dems, Clive Perrett for the Labour Party, and representatives of sister NHS campaigns in Basildon and Southend during the rally.

Speaking with us earlier this week, councillor Stephen Robinson said: “Regarding the changes, I have great concern about the transport issues.

“Not only will patients be transferred but also staff. This will impact on their day, they already work such long hours as it is. This relies heavily on the roads not being congested. It’s a big concern of the proposal.

“We have an NHS crisis to address, it needs more money. The Lib-Dems proposed in a meeting last week to take £2.5 million out of reserves to add to the bed blocking issue. That’s what’s causing ambulances to be queuing outside, there’s no beds for patients to be admitted.

“I want to see closer integration between the NHS and social care system.”

Regarding the rally, he added: “To have 200 people turn up on a cold Saturday lunch time is a great turnout. I would advise people to make their views known before the consultation on March 9.”

Defend Our NHS Chelmsford campaign coordinator Andy Abbott said: “We sent out a clear message on Saturday. No Cuts. No privatisation. No merger.

“After seven years of cuts our NHS is already bleeding and on its knees. It will not survive further cuts via the government’s so called Sustainability and Transformation Partnership [STP] programme.

“Despite all the spin, a look at the Mid and South Essex STP’s current consultation document reveals the truth, as it talks about ‘closing our financial gap, addressing the financial challenges, to live within our means’ and ‘more economical ways’ to ‘deliver local health services’. Even in their own words, and despite previous promises by the government to keep the NHS free from austerity, the proposed changes are driven by cuts.”

He added: “’It is also worth noting at what the same consultation document says about merging Broomfield, Basildon, and Southend hospitals.

“While it talks about a closer working relationship, it warns about ‘averting the disruption caused by a formal merger at this time’.