guardiannews@src.gla.ac.uk
22nd October 2008
Hub hit by pharmacy rejection
Mr Tait was of the same stance:“Boots already offers sexual healthadvice, but not all travel vaccines,though they can be ordered in.”Mr Hughes raised the subject of access to the Hub, claiming: “If entryto the Hub is requires a student card,then public access becomes an issue.If it is then classed as a private phar-macy then it will be impossible to getremuneration from the NHS.”Similarly Mr Tait claimed: “Nopharmacy purely aimed at studentswould be viable.”However, with a population of 20,000 students and almost 6000staff, Mr Salwan did not foreseea problem arising: “It is not juststudents but the thousands of staff who will be able to make use of thefacilities; I do not intend to make amassive profit on the project.”He did concede that the phar-macy would be unfeasible withoutthe participation of the NHS: “Wewould need an NHS contract to makethe pharmacy possible.”Mr Salwan also told Guardianthat he intended to resubmit his appli-cation to the committee.He said: “I will be submitting afresh application with more backingin the near future. The date for thenext hearing will be arranged bythe health board. I will be going forit guns blazing this time. I want toplay more on the desirability of theproposal in the next application.”Gerry Hughes explained that thelaw was unbending in relation to thecreation of new pharmacies: “If thereis already adequacy of provision thequestion of desirability is negated,this is a statutory instrument. We hadno choice but to reject the applicationas we have a strict set of proceduresto follow.”Gavin Lee, president of the SRC,expressed frustration at the PPC’sdecision: “The SRC is extremelydisappointed that the application
Pete Ramand
Glasgow students protest banking bail-out
STUDENTS AND TRADE UNIONISTSdemonstrated against bank-bailouts outsideHalifax Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and theRoyal Bank of Scotland in Glasgow on October18th.Danny McGregor, one of the organisersof the demonstration, outlined the demands of the protestors, highlighting the issues raised byrescuing big business with taxpayers’ money.He said: “Working people should not be thevictims of job losses and home repossessionswhile the bankers are being bailed out withbillions of pounds of public money.“Glasgow hosts some of the biggest finan-cial corporations in the world. Despite thecorporations being part of the cause of thiscrisis it is their profits that are being saved.“We demand a bail-out of ordinary people,not the bankers; and to nationalise the profits,not the debts.”RBS declined to comment, while bothHBoS and Lloyds TSB were also unavailableto make a statement.The demonstration was organised by theSocialist Workers Student Society as a preludeto a mobilisation planned for October 31stoutside the corporate headquarters of HBoS inEdinburgh.This event follows a series of demonstra-tions over the bank bailouts; the most notable
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testing and emergency hormonalcontraception available, to which MrTait pointed out that some of theservices promised were unavailableon the NHS, and would have had tobe privately contracted.Gerry Hughes, representative forthe Greater Glasgow and Clyde AreaPharmaceutical CP Subcommittee,said that his pharmacy was ableto provide the majority of travelvaccines already.“We have all the travel vaccines theHub would be offering, except forJapanese Encephalitis B and YellowFever.”for a pharmacy in The Hub hasbeen rejected. There is a real andsignificant need for a pharmacy oncampus.“We believe that having a phar-macy at the centre of campus willbenefit students’ health and well-being, and encourage far morestudents to seek out treatment for anyillness they may be experiencing. TheSRC will actively support any appli-cation for a pharmacy on GilmorehillCampus.”Peter Venables, the third inter-ested party, representing AndrewHand pharmacy, declined to commenton the matter.
Photo: Jim Wilson
of which was held in London on October 10th,where 700 students attempted to occupy theBank of England.In what was dubbed ‘Fight-back Friday’students attempted to break into the Londonbank.Steve Henshaw, one of the organisers of theprotest, described the scene.He said: “The police couldn’t really controlthings, and many started lashing out punches infrustration. The crowd were eventually trappedinto a corner by police on horseback and offi-cers with dogs.“It’s becoming harder to pay bills, to findwork and our student loans are linked to infla-tion, so the loan company will add about 10%extra onto our debts this year. We’ll fight withthose trying to defend their homes from re-possession, stand alongside workers on picketlines and we’ll be on the streets again on the31st.”Rob Owen, of the NUS National Executive,was equally critical of the banks' handling of the current crisis.He said: “Students have had enough of onerule for the rich and another for the poor. TheBank of England gave billions of pounds of ourmoney to the rich but we won’t be made to payfor their crisis.”A spokesperson for the City of Londonpolice force reported: “This was a well-controlled demonstration.”
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