HOSPITAL and health service staff from across Worcestershire will be among those descending on Birmingham for what is expected to be a massive demonstration against NHS cuts in the country.

Midlands NHS unions are organising a mass rally of health service staff in Victoria Square on Saturday, March 3 to bring attention to problems besetting the health service.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust hs reduced its workforce by 720 and is proposing a series of changes to services as it battles a £30m deficit, while Worcestershire Primary Care Trust is in debt to the tune of £16 million.

The midday rally will be attended by trade unionists from 15 unions organising across the whole Midlands for what is likely to be the largest gathering of health workers in the country on the national day of action.

Roger McKenzie, Midlands Trades Union Con-gress regional secretary, said: "The health service unions have come together under the NHS Together campaign to show the strength of feeling felt by their members about staffing cuts and budget deficits. They are at the sharp end of delivering health provision and understand all too well what these cuts mean in real terms to patients.

"Health service cuts are causing problems for patient care and reductions in staff jobs. NHS staff support reform that delivers better patient care, but that has been replaced by untested rapid changes with no staff involvement. The fragmentation of the NHS threatens the NHS values that are key to binding the service together."

The rally will be add-ressed by national figures including the new general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Dr Peter Carter and UNISON's president Mal-colm Cantello. Senior regional figures from the Midlands, including TUC chairman Gerard Coyne and GMB regional secretary Joe Morgan will speak. Entertainment will be provided before the speeches by Banner and Fizzog theatre groups.