Tell us the truth over cancer care: Protest planned in Staffordshire

Opponents will also hand over a 63,000-name petition demanding the proposals are axed following the rally outside The Aquarius in Hednesford, where the county's Clinical Commissioning Group's governing body is meeting.

The CCG is in the process of selecting a preferred bidder for the contract.

Protesters claim there have been delays in the process and that the public is not being kept informed, branding the plans 'disgraceful'. Campaigner Gail Gregory, of Gnosall, who set up the petition, will speak at the demonstration on Thursday.

Contract

The protest has been organised by Cancer Not For Profit, which wants to stop attempts by Staffordshire's four clinical commissioning groups, including Cannock and Stafford, to contract out cancer and end-of-life services.

More than 100 people are expected to take part in the protest, including Cannock Chase Council leader George Adamson.

He said: "What the CCG is trying to do is totally disgraceful. They claim it will 'tidy up' the various pathways under one organisation but that can be done under the NHS, you don't need a private company to do it.

"The contract ties everybody into a 10-year deal, which is worse. It's happened on a smaller scale in other parts of the country but this would be the biggest single privatisation of the health service in England, and we don't want to see that happen."

Cancer Not For Profit has called on local people to join the fight after the announcement that Virgin Care had secured a £280 million seven-year contract from East Staffordshire CCG for elderly person care.

Andrew Donald, chief officer for Cannock and Stafford CCGs, said: "Patients, carers, and health and social care professionals have told us the current system is not joined up. This can lead to poor care with patients getting lost in a system that creates unnecessary duplication and waste."

Richard Caddy, of the Transforming Cancer and End of Life Care Programme, which is made up of stakeholders including the CCGs, said: "Due to these discussions being confidential and commercially sensitive it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage." The rally will be at 1.30pm.