'Gift' to cuts advisers

ON 26 October Leeds Socialist Party members protested outside the Leeds offices of PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC). We presented a 'cheque' to PwC representing Ł100,000 of taxpayers' money that the Leeds NHS is paying these private management consultants each month to advise them on how to cut another Ł85 million in the next three years!

For two hours we noisily demonstrated on the stairs of the building. The police turned up to move us on before we could hand over the cheque. But then we realised that security had locked the main entrance and refused to discuss with us. Much to our amusement, a community police officer persuaded them to open the door and accept our 'gift'.

The public response was amazing. Many of the drivers expressed solidarity by beeping their horns, indeed a local worker who previously worked in NHS Logistics later turned up to support our cause.

On 11 November, UNISON Leeds teaching hospitals trust branch will march through Leeds city centre against the projected Ł84 million of cuts and a further 430 jobs to go over the next three years.

Manny Dominguez and Jane Westwood

Bosses at one of the other Trusts we publicised, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, have complained that our publicity material exaggerated how much they paid to PwC. It wasn't Ł1 million, it seems, it was 'only' Ł350,000!

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In The Socialist 2 November 2006:

Thousands march to save NHS