Staff including nurses, occupational therapists, care coordinators, healthcare assistants, and physiotherapists gathered in Keynsham for a meeting.

The lobby, organised by Unison, opposes the ICB's recent decision to transfer 2,000 health workers to the private HCRG Care Group, taking them further from NHS employment.

Unison South West regional secretary Kerry Baigent said: ‘This transfer is a disastrous decision that staff neither wanted nor support. These workers, who take immense pride in delivering public healthcare, want to be part of the NHS. Moving them to a private company prioritises shareholder profit over patient care.

‘The NHS must attract and retain skilled workers to provide safe, effective care. Pushing staff into the private sector erodes pay, job security, and working conditions. It's not just harmful to staff – it's harmful to the future of healthcare.'

The union is calling for a review of the decision and a commitment to bring staff and services back into the NHS.

The ICB was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.