Health service campaigners were out at Falmouth Hospital on Saturday evening as they held a vigil for the NHS.

The group, organised by local Labour Party members, was at the hospital to raise awareness of the difficult times facing the health service during a period of budget cuts and top-down reforms.

Organiser and Falmouth Town Councillor Anna Gillett told the Packet: "The NHS isn't at any point going to become safe, it's something we need to keep pressure on."

She did add, however, that there was some good news for local health services. She said: "Last week there was an announcement that there's some investment going into repairs at Falmouth Hospital, which means it isn't in immediate danger."

At the same time, she warned that the NHS in Cornwall is facing renewed budget pressure, with the county's clinical commissioning group NHS Kernow telling the government that it would be running a deficit and would continue with aims to stick within its budget.

She said: "If they have to run to the budget they have been given, patient safety is at risk. It's the first commissioning group to say that, so we hope there will be a few more across the country saying that, standing up and saying 'no more.'

"The consequence of that situation is they go into special measures over the winter, which could have pretty serious consequences as services could be sold up or privatised."

But she added: "We just have to stay out there and keep fighting for it, because as Nye Bevan said, it will exist as long as people are prepared to fight for it."