Manchester
Save mental health services
AROUND 30 staff and supporters lobbied the local health trust on 9 November, demanding they drop plans for sweeping cuts to community mental health-care in Manchester. The bosses see mental health-care as an easy victim for cuts.
Hugh Caffrey
Cuts to community mental health-care mean less staff to help mental health patients in the community. There will be 33 less nursing posts and 75% of service users will lose their key worker.
Fewer staff, an even more over-stretched service – and another 24 managers! It’s proposed to put four specialist community teams out to “open tender” – Blairite speak for privatisation.
No to a mini-Railtrack in mental health-care!
The staff union branch has called a mass cavalcade of cars in protest at the cuts on 5 December from 12-1pm.
The trust board will begin its proposals with a freeze on nursing jobs on 11 January 2007 – staff have called a mass lobby against the cuts on the same day.
If management won’t drop the proposals, an indicative ballot this month will prepare for a full strike ballot for action in January.
We’re working to link all the anti-cuts campaigns together across the conurbation to prepare for further protest actions before Christmas.
Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public meeting,
Wednesday 22 November 7.30pm,
Friends Meeting House, central Manchester
