LONDON—Some 2,000 people marched here March 16 to protest cuts at Whittington Hospital that will result in the closure of half the facility, affecting patient wards, staff accommodation and jobs. Births at the hospital will be capped under the plans. “I’m here because I use this hospital,” said Aubrey Davis, 82. “Things are very difficult, politicians can do what they like.” “Whether hospital care you need is five or 20 minutes away can make a difference,” said Granville Watson, a retired rail worker. In a separate development, Brian Jarman, a government adviser, recently estimated that the number of preventable deaths at 14 of the country’s 140 hospital trusts was “a bit over 20,000” in the past 10 years.

—ZEBBIE TODD AND ALEX XEZONAKIS