In pictures: Banbury joins NHS in Crisis demo in London

*Click the link above to see a gallery of pictures from the march*

A coachload of campaigners from Banbury the march on Saturday for the NHS in Crisis – Fix It Now protest.

The demonstrators included a large delegation from Keep the Horton General Campaign, the Banbury branch of GMB union, the Labour Party and Green Party.

The band of NHS supporters were part of a two-mile march to Downing Street where they applauded a number of NHS experts and Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth who made rousing speeches in favour of giving the health service more money and halting privatisation of its profitable elements.

Middleton Cheney sisters Sophia and Esme Vessey created posters based on board games to explain the problems faced by an underfunded NHS.

Twelve year old Sophie’s placard, based on the Operation game, was picked out by Yahoo as one of the eight most inventive banners of the event.

Another placard which said ‘Saving Lives Costs Money - Saving Money Costs Lives’ was pinned to the top of the BBC’s online video content.

The Horton’s eyecatching blue and white Hands Off The Horton banners appeared in news outlets ranging from the Daily Mail to the Evening Standard and Huffington Post.

The Vessey girls’ mum Ceri said: “The girls decided they wanted to do a twist on popular board games so youngsters of their generation could relate to it. It’s their understanding of why the NHS is being underfunded.

“We have all been on four marches to London to support the NHS. We believe the NHS is a world class health service.

“However it is underfunded. It should remain universal. We believe those who have invested the most, older adults, have been most badly affected.

“They were promised ‘cradle to grave care’ but many of their services have been cut. People are suffering. People are dying unnecessarily and alone. It has a ripple affect. We say Save our NHS; Fund our NHS.”

Keith Strangwood, chairman of the Keep the Horton General Campaign said: “We had to join this demonstration against the way the NHS has been brought to its knees through underfunding and the top down reorganisation that means the Horton and many district hospitals like it around England are being downgraded, with major, acute services centralised in big city hospitals.

“It was amazing to be part of such a huge event where everyone was like-minded, knowing that this is a critical moment for our National Health Service, the envy of the world.”

A collection on the coach raised £166.25 for the KTHG fighting fund.