Former NHS worker barred from protest over Health Service cuts... because she backs UKIP Frances Raftery, 71, contacted Save Bolton Health Services campaign Co-ordinator said group represented 'multi-cultural Britain' 'We do not want to be used by a political party,' she added Distress: Frances Raftery, 71, said the email she received telling her she was excluded from the NHS protest rally was 'disgusting' A former NHS worker has been excluded from a protest rally to fight the closure of her local casualty unit because she supports UKIP. Frances Raftery, 71, contacted a campaign group to say she would be attending their meeting to help them challenge changes to local NHS services. The widowed grandmother revealed she was a UKIP member, but was left "incredibly distressed" when she received a response making it clear she would not be welcome at the meeting, being held last night. Karen Reissmann, campaign co-ordinator of Save Bolton Health Services, told Mrs Raftery the group represented "multi-cultural" Britain and was "not for scapegoating any part of the community for the problems in the NHS." Her letter added that they had members "across the political spectrum. But concerns have been raised that we do not want to be used by a party that has had no contact in any of our activities in five months we have been in existence. The controversy is the latest involving claims of discrimination against UKIP members. Last year Rotherham Council was widely criticised for removing three Eastern European children from their foster parents after social services discovered the couple belonged to the anti-EU party. Mrs Raftery, a retired teacher who previously worked in the laundry at the Royal Bolton Hospital where A&E services are under threat, said the response she received was a racist slur against UKIP. "I have lived in the same area for most of my life and myself and all of my children and grandchildren have been treated at the hospital at some point during their life," she said. I am not racist, regardless of what this group feel about UKIP and I wanted to attend because I am concerned as a local resident. Their response to my courtesy email has been disgusting. If we live in a multi-cultural society then am I not part of that society and should I not be allowed to attend meetings to help protect our local NHS services? Instead I have felt like I have been excluded because of my political beliefs. The fact that I am a UKIP member should not mean my voice is not heard. Protest: Mrs Raftery had worked in the laundry at Royal Bolton Hospital where A&E services are under threat UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "This is another example of the appalling discrimination against UKIP members in the Labour-dominated North of England." Deputy leader Paul Nuttall added: "The inference in the letter is that we are a racist party, but that is totally untrue. The attitude smacks of the same sort of ill-informed prejudice that led to the Rotherham couple having foster children taken away. The proposed closure of Bolton A&E is a matter that affects local people whatever their political persuasion and it should not be an issue in the protest. Bolton West Labour MP Julie Hilling said: "It is a great pity when any local protest is politicised in this way. The real issue is the cuts being imposed by the Coalition government. We need all of the community of Bolton to save our much loved and much needed services. Miss Reissmann, a former mental health nurse, said: "No one has been banned from any group. I passed on concerns that had been raised with me and wanted to let Mrs Raftery know what our group stood for. Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which is trying to save £20million, recently attracted controversy after it stood accused of fiddling figures to mask the numbers of patients dying needlessly.