Campaigners are calling on the people of South East Cambridgeshire to join them in a day of action for the NHS on April 25.

The day of action, coordinated by campaign group 38 Degrees, will be held in Ely’s Market Place from 10.30am and is open to all.

The campaigners are looking for more people to join them in gathering petition signatures to save the NHS. They will join thousands of other members of 38 Degrees protesting on the same day across the England.

Almost 1,400 people in the area have already signed the growing petition to all of the MP candidates in South East Cambridgeshire in May’s general election.

The petition asks each candidate to commit to protect the NHS from privatisation, make sure it has the funding it needs, and keep the NHS out of the trans Atlantic trade and investment partnership deal with the United States.

Jane Howell, a 38 Degrees member, from Haddenham, said: “The NHS has been like a comfort blanket to me, free and always there when you need it most. I can remember when the NHS first came in and it made such a difference to peoples’ lives. “We cannot go back to those days. I ask everyone who also loves and values the NHS to turn out on April 25, in your droves the more the merrier to show our parliamentary candidates just how much we treasure our NHS, and that it must be returned to public ownership as soon as possible”

Anyone interested in joining the day of action on Ely Market Square should go to www.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-events.

David Babbs, executive director of 38 Degrees, said: “With just weeks to go until the election, people across the country will be coming together to spread the word about the NHS.

“We want to send politicians a clear message: if you want to sell off or run down our NHS, you’ll have a fight on your hands. People in Ely will be standing with thousands of others across the country to stand up for our NHS.”