NHS Protest ‘In The Spirit Of The Suffragettes’

April 12, 2017

Yesterday the Merseyside Pensioners Association (MPA) led a chorus of protest in the spirit of the suffragettes before the meeting of the Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The MPA were joined by Merseysiders who are alarmed at continuing cuts in NHS services.

Chair of the MPA Julie Lyon-Taylor said “Liverpool NHS bosses have given themselves a 50% pay increase as a reward for running down our precious NHS meanwhile pensioners are blamed for using too many beds. The reality is that social care has been slashed by the government and many pensioners can’t be sent home because there is no care for them in the community. Everyone is suffering because of privatisation and budget cuts”. She added: “The CCG are a law unto themselves. It is clear in Liverpool they can do as they please and believe they do not answer to anyone”.

Pensioners decided to protest following the outrageous revelation that the CCG chairman Nadim Fazlani got a £50,000 rise. Most of the pay rises relate to the 2014-15 financial year when the chair’s salary rose from approximately £105,000 to £155,000. Deputy CCG chairman Prof Maureen Williams saw an increase of at least a third, from £70,000-£75,000 to £100,000 while the chief officer and chief finance officer both received rises of about 15%. After six years of pay restraint and a 14% real-terms loss of income NHS workers were recently given a derisory 1% pay increase. This amounts to less than £5 a week for most midwives, nurses, cleaners paramedics, radiographers and other healthcare staff.

Once inside the meeting questions were asked about the salary increases and privatisation but no answers of any substance were forthcoming. The pensioners say they will continue to fight against privatisation and cuts to NHS budgets.