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uk Evening Post, Tuesday, December 1, 2009 5

Outrage at NEWSBRIEF
£18m bill Thief takes
for museum perfume
A SHOPLIFTER who stole
● From Page 1 perfume worth £80.66 from
County Council (LCC) and Pre- Debenhams has received a
ston Council since 2002. The conditional discharge.
LCC contribution increased by Paul Hope, of Clovelly
2.2% in 2009/10. Avenue, Ashton, admitted
theft when he appeared be-
Funding was needed from fore Preston Magistrates
April 2003 onwards when a THE CAST: SATA Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk
Court. He was also ordered
charge for people to get into the

We’re all right Jack as

to pay £50 costs.
museum was scrapped.
Funding from the Football
Man admits
stars get ready for panto
Foundation continued until the
end of March this year, which
sparked the crisis over its future.
Former curator Mark Bushell
hitting woman
PLAYERS at a Preston theatre company is gearing up A PRESTON man who as-
said claims of increased visitor for a magical Christmas production.
numbers at Manchester are a saulted a woman has been
The SATA Theatre Company will perform its Christ- given a community order.
“red herring” because they are mas production of Jack and the Beanstalk at St An-
“not proven” and nearby com- Michael Gavin, 30, of
drew’s Church Hall, in Blackpool Road, Ashton. Dorman Road, Ribbleton,
petition, such as Manchester
United’s own museum, could af- Gill Pollard, left, is playing Gill, along with Andrew admitted battery at Preston
fect it. Pollard, as the Dame and Heather Corless as Jack. Magistrates Court.
It will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday, December 3 IN COSTUME: From left, Gill
Coun Eric Fazackerley, cabi-
net member for resources at
Preston Council, said: “Like all
and Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5 at
2.30pm and 7.30pm.
Pollard as Princess Gill,
Andrew Pollard as the Dame Fine given for
museums it has to be subsidised,
but why did they have to move it
Tickets cost £6 for adults or £4 for children and for
more information call Val on 07810187925.
and Heather Corless as Jack
carrying drug
to Manchester? I can’t see the A RIBBLETON man who

NHS managers
raison d’etre for going, I believe admitted possessing
we can finance it between the cannabis has been fined £65
three of us.” by Preston magistrates.
But a spokesman for the mu- Waqar Hussein, of Dickson
seum said: “The National Foot- Avenue, was also ordered to
ball Museum has always been pay £50 costs.

Guilty plea
able to demonstrate that it has
provided excellent value for
money each year.

bill rises by £3m

“NFM will be continuing to
occupy the existing site in Pre- for assault
ston and undertake key muse- A PRESTON man has been
um functions at and from the given a community order
site, including the preservation after pleading guilty to as-
of the collections. sault. Melvin Halsall, 24, of
“NFM remains hopeful that Eldon Street, Ashton, was
a funding package can also be also ordered to pay £80 costs
found to keep the exhibition gal- by Preston magistrates.
leries open to the public.”

Health trust is ‘top heavy’

HEALTH chiefs in by Aasma Day But Tim Ellis, regional
organiser for UNISON,
Lancashire have Health Reporter
said: “This is a shocking in-
sanctioned a £3m [email protected] crease in management
increase in manage- salaries and a major source
cant investment in the of concern.
ment salary costs, it local NHS in recent years “There has been a lot of
has been revealed. and it is important that this re-organisation in the NHS
Bosses at NHS Cen- investment is used wisely. to introduce private sup-
tral Lancashire project “To make sure the PCT pliers.
a 38% rise in manage- is able to work as effective- “This has led to in-
ment costs in just two ly as possible, we have un- creased management costs
dergone an internal re- and increased costs in gen-
years. structure.
During 2007/08, the pri- eral.
“A number of posts “There are a lot of prob-
mary care trust for Pre- were given more responsi-
ston, Chorley, South Rib- lems with this as it is tak-
bility and as such become ing resources away from
ble and West Lancashire classed as managers for the
spent £7,546,000 on man- frontline services.”
first time.
agers wages. During 2007/08 the total
“These include clinical
But for 2009/10, the bill amount spent on wages
team leaders and service
will be £10,479,000, a and salaries by NHS Cen-
co-ordinators on starting
whopping 38% increase. tral Lancashire was
salaries of around £18,000.
The figures have been £55.9m; in 2008/09 this had
“While the number of risen to £61.2m.
revealed from information people classed as man-
obtained under the Free- agers has increased in the NHS Central Lan-
dom of Information Act. PCT, the total number of cashire has an overall
Bosses at NHS Central staff has remained about budget of £690m.
Lancashire defended their the same. Mark Wallace, cam-
position, saying investment “Between 2007/08 to paign director for the Tax-
in management is crucial 2008/09, the total salaries payer’s Alliance, said:
in improving healthcare. and wages cost increased “The last thing the NHS
And they say that the by nine per cent. needs is more managers on
38% increase in manage- “During this period the even bigger salaries.
ment costs is down to a re- PCT took on some addi- “With a crisis in public
structuring process which tional services, including finances, NHS bureacracy
has led to some NHS prison healthcare. We should be a priority for
workers being re-classified have seen some real im- being cut, not increased.
as managers. Joe Rafferty, provements in local servic- “Doctors, nurses and pa-
NHS Central Lancashire’s es in recent years, not least tients all know that the
chief executive, said: a massive reduction in NHS is top heavy with
“There has been signifi- waiting times for patients.” management.”