A 'Defend our NHS' rally is being planned for Saturday, beside the statue of Constantine the Great in York.

Members of York and Scarborough Defend Our NHS and the York Unite community will be talking to members of the public ablout the crisis facing the NHS - and what they can do about it.

"The NHS is now in crisis, after years of austerity and underfunding, staff shortages, with no clear workforce plan, growing waiting lists for treatment, increasing privatisation and exhausted undervalued NHS staff," said Gwen Vardigans of York and Scarborough Defend Our NHS.

The rally will be held between 11am and 1pm - and anyone interested in the future of the NHS is urged to come along.

Gwen said paper and crayons would be supplied to keep children occupied, while their parents discussed the problems facing the NHS.

"We need investment, decisions and action before the end of the summer if the winter demands on the service are to be met," Gwen said. "We intend to hold many interactive sessions with the public."

She said advice would be given to members of the public concerned about the future of the NHS over what they could do - including writing to their MP, and to the new health board for our region, the Humber and North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership, which came into force on July 1 to replace CCGs.