SHOPPERS were asked to sign up to a petition to 'save the NHS' as part of a politicians campaign for improvements in the health service.

Left wing activists spoke to pedestrians in Bolton town centre on Saturday to persuade them to put their name to a demand action from the Theresa May-led Conservative administration at Westminster.

Yasmin Qureshi, the Labour MP for Bolton South East, was with her team collecting names, handing out leaflets and discussing the issues with passers-by.

She said: "It is a fundamental right that when you become unwell you know you will be properly treated without having to worry about: will I be looked after? Will my baby or grandmother be looked after? Will I have to resort to private treatment I can't afford?

"Everybody is saying they recognise the problems but nobody is actually doing anything.

"The pressure on the NHS is enormous and the Government is not addressing the issues.

"We're doing the petition as part of my campaign about the NHS and we want to collect a significant number of signatures before we hand it in."

Ms Qureshi was joined in canvassing in Oxford Street by Labour councillors, volunteers from Bolton's various Labour party branches, members of Bolton and District Pensioners Association, members of the Jeremy Corbyn-supporting Labour movement Momentum and members of the Bolton Metro branch of union UNISON.

She will submit the petition into Parliament and possibly deliver a copy to 10 Downing Street and it will be one of a number of lobbying exercises designed to force the Government's hand over health organisation and spending.

The MP said: "People are being treated on trollies and are having to wait many hours – more than four hours in many cases now – to be seen in A and E and lots of people are still in hospital when they should be at home because there's no proper social care package available for them.

"Many GPs have retired over the last few years before pension changes come into force but they are not being replaced in enough numbers because there has been a lack of investment in GP training contracts."

Darren Patton, aged 34, of Halliwell, was pushing son Isaac, aged eight months, in a baby buggy when he stopped to sign up like many others.

He said: "I'm doing this to protect my little boy because if anything goes wrong, we need the NHS and the Royal Bolton Hospital has been amazing.

"There's been lots of money promised but it seems it hasn't come.

"I'm on benefits and can't afford private care."