CAMPAIGNERS passionate about saving the NHS from privatisation were out in Chippenham town centre on Saturday as part of a national day of action.

The campaign group 38 Degrees was out on the Town Bridge and in Emery Gate collecting signatures for a petition which asked the county’s parliamentary candidates to stop privatisation and keep the NHS out of the TTIP, the planned trade deal between the EU and the USA.

Their online petition had been signed by 680 people in the Chippenham constituency before Saturday, and on the day a further 960 people gave their signatures in support.

Christine Gale, 68, a 38 Degrees member from Castle Combe, said: “The response we got from the public was fantastic, people were outraged and angry. The huge majority stopped and all had their own personal stories why they care about the NHS.

"Personally, my gran couldn’t call a doctor when she gave birth; my grandfather worked in the Nestle factory and they couldn’t afford a doctor so their baby was delivered by a woman across the road.

“What we have in the NHS is the best health service in the world. We got hundreds of signatures to our petition to call for our prospective candidates in the Chippenham and North Wiltshire Constituencies to heed that our NHS is precious and ask them to do everything they can to protect it and make sure it is run for the public good.”

She and 16 other local 38 Degrees members joined thousands of others protesting on the same day across the UK.

Green Party members, who share the aim of protecting the NHS, were also out campaigning on Chippenham's Town Bridge.

Tina Johnston, the Green Party candidate for Chippenham, said: “One of our main policies is to reverse the sell-off of our crown jewels service that is the NHS. We are against privatisation and the inclusion of the NHS in the TTIP, as it opens our NHS to American private healthcare companies.”

The petition to save the NHS is at www.38degrees.org.uk/nhs