Health campaigners from across Essex gathered in Chelmsford last Friday to picket a joint meeting of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in mid and south Essex.

The CCGs meeting discussed the recent public consultation into the future of health services.

The consultation was slammed as a ‘farce’ by health campaigners, as just one third of one per cent of local people participated.

“We believe the majority of people locally were unaware of the consultation, and unaware of the dangerous plans being proposed”, said Defend Our NHS Chelmsford spokesperson Andy Abbott.

Local health bosses are tasked by the government to deliver a Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. It is a process branded “slash trash and privatise” by campaigners.