THE organisers of a rally in support of the NHS hope the event will inspire people to become politically active.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the 999 Call for the NHS rally, in Darlington, in July.

A planning meeting for the event was held at Cafe Create, in the town, on Bank Holiday Monday.

Speakers at the rally will include Green Party leader Natalie Bennett and Dr Clive Peedell, leader of the National Health Action Party.

Organiser Joanna Adams hopes NHS workers opposed to the Government’s health policies will attend the rally.

She said: “The NHS is effectively being sliced up and privatised as we speak and people are not really aware of the consequences.

“It is my opinion that profit-making from health is a mistake and one we will regret.”

One of the factors that inspired Mrs Adams to organise the rally was the death from lung cancer of her sister, Sarah Siddle, in December, aged just 44.

She said: “When Sarah was so poorly, the NHS looked after her in such a caring way, I really cannot imagine what we would have done without that support.”

Mrs Adams said plans for the rally are growing rapidly, with expressions of interest from far afield.

The rally starts at noon on Saturday, July 27, near the Joseph Pease statue in Darlington town centre.

For more information, follow @999CallforNHS on Twitter or search for it on Facebook.