Campaigners staged a protest outside St George's Hospital yesterday (March 1) against the hospital's plans to extend private healthcare facilities.

About 30 people from groups Keep Our NHS Public (KONHSP) and Wandsworth Against Cuts (WAC) turned up to rally at the Effort Street entrance to the hospital.

The protest was staged against the hospital's decision to hire a private patients development manager, who will be paid a starting salary of £45,254.

They were joined by Tooting pensioner June Hautot, 75, who made headlines when she harangued health secretary Andrew Lansley outside Westminster last week.

She said: "My colleagues at Keep Our NHS Public are very happy it has come more to the forefront. There are now more Royal Colleges coming and supporting it.

"It first started in 1979, closing hospitals and making money. It is all privatisation - nobody should be able to make money from people's misfortune."

Ms Hautot said she was taken away to Brighton to get away from the media storm and has been trying to get to Mr Lansley for some time, having travelled once to a hospital he was visiting in Farnborough.

Micha Cox, staff nurse, said: "There is no extra capacity. If they build new facilities where will they get the staff?

"Staff are being cut not hiring. We are being threatened and bullied that even if we say anything we will lose our jobs."

A spokesperson for St George's Healthcare Trust said: "Like many other NHS trusts in London St George’s Healthcare has been providing private patient care for a number of years. "The income generated through private activity is reinvested in our frontline NHS services, making a significant difference for NHS patients. For 2011-12 this is expected to be around £3.8 million.

"In December 2011 the trust recruited a private and overseas patient development manager.

"This post was advertised as an Agenda for Change band 8b position, starting salary £45,254, which is consistent with other NHS organisations, and is funded by the private patients budget."

Another rally called by TUC is taking place at St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster on March 7.

A petition against the appointing of a private patient's development manager has gained about 200 signatures.