Furious NHS workers showed out in force for a protest which saw close to 200 cleaners, porters and housekeepers march through Colchester.

Support staff at the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust are protesting against proposals to “privatise” hundreds of jobs, having staged 13 days of strike action as part of their campaign to remain NHS employees.

Further action is planned for Monday and Tuesday, as almost 200 members of staff marched down Turner Road, headed to Castle Park and held a rally at Colchester Town Hall on Saturday.

The Unison union has backed the action and is concerned about the potential impact of outsourcing jobs, fearing it could lead to reduced standards of care, cleanliness and a reduced patient experience.

UNISON Eastern regional secretary Tim Roberts said: "Hundreds of people marched because they know that outsourcing means worse services.

"When profit-hungry private companies come into the NHS, they drive standards down. Cleanliness suffers, food standards suffer, and patient care suffers.

"These workers will keep on fighting until the trust listens to reason."

Support staff have also emphasised that the strike is about protecting the future of the NHS rather than for financial gains and have called on public support during their 13 days of strikes.

Despite this, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust chief executive Nick Hulme has reiterated the trust’s commitment to patient care during the industrial action.

Speaking last week, Mr Hulme said: “Keeping patients safe is always our top priority. Much planning is underway to ensure all services for patients continue during this strike.

"We respect individuals’ right to strike and continue to listen to our facilities colleagues about the issues that are important to them.”

"A final decision on the outsourcing plan is expected to be discussed by the ESNEFT board in November.

"The trust is currently evaluating all options to ensure the future of soft facilities management services delivers the best results for both patients and staff.

"Until then, support staff vow to continue their fight, with the hope that their voices will be heard before it’s too late."