A TRADE union community branch is hosting a special party to celebrate 70 years since the NHS was created.

Clacton’s Unite Community Branch will join Clacton Labour Party to mark the occasion.

The event, which will include music and dancing, will take place at the Makai Beach Cafe and Bar, near Clacton Pier, on Saturday from 12noon to 4pm.

People are encouraged to come along in fancy dress with a healthcare theme.

Steven Walker, from the Unite branch, said: “This event marks a landmark achievement in the history of the Labour and trades union movement when the NHS was created to take away the fear of becoming ill for people too poor to afford to pay for a GP visit.

“The NHS is a testament to everyone who believes that healthcare should be a right for every citizen and provided free from general taxation based on patient need rather than wealth or status.

“The NHS is currently under huge pressure and the threat of creeping privatisation, yet the staff who work in it do so out of their care, compassion and dedication to what it stands for.”