CAMPAIGNERS promoting a rally in support of the NHS were told they had to leave Colchester Hospital.

Members of Colchester People's Assembly and Keep Our NHS Public visited the hospital site on Wednesday to distribute leaflets about a planned march in Colchester.

The rally next month will mark the 73rd anniversary of the NHS and campaigners will be calling for a better pay deal for staff, increased patient safety and an end NHS privatisation.

Campaigners say they were wearing masks and socially distancing but were still told to leave the hospital site by security staff.

They say they started filmed when security threatened to call the police.

Soon after they were told they could distribute leaflets as long as this filming was deleted, which they say it was.

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Colchester People's Assembly's Alan Short said: "Colchester Hospital is not usually so shy about courting publicity, as the recent televised visit of PM Boris Johnson has shown so it seems really odd that a rally in support of NHS staff ruffled feathers in this way.

"The rally in support of the NHS starts at 12noon on Saturday, July 3, in St Botolphs Priory and will be followed by a march around the town centre, ending with speeches in the open space near Firstsite. All welcome."

Colchester Hospital is run by the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust.

Managing director Neill Maloney said: "We appreciate everyone has a right to protest, but we cannot support such protests being carried out either on hospital grounds or inside our buildings.

“Many people who come in for appointments, treatment or visits are anxious and they do not need to be placed under additional stress at an already difficult time.

“Filming is only permitted on our sites with prior permission to respect the privacy of others.

"The group had not sought that permission, or to be on the hospital site, and were asked to move on.”