Four weeks after the Prime Minister opened Number 10 North in Manchester's Albert Square, the office block known as Heron House has become an unlikely attraction, drawing curious glances from passers-by and hosting a protest over NHS mental health jobs.
Two middle-aged men in full cycling gear wheeled through Albert Square, came to a sudden halt and turned their heads to the right. "This is that Number 10 North," one cyclist said to his mate. "It's Andy Burnham's big thing." They were among the first of many passers-by who paused, took note and remarked on what at first glance appears to be a dull grey office building with a Slug and Lettuce attached.
A constant police presence
If it wasn't for the seven-day police presence behind a metal barrier, Heron House could be any other office block in Manchester city centre. But it isn't - and it is starting to become something of an attraction. By Friday (August 21), four weeks had passed since the new Prime Minister opened Number 10 North as one of his first acts in the job. The idea, his government says, is to shift power out of Whitehall and into communities across the country.
A schoolboy and two older relatives stopped to ask police for directions to the next stop on their heritage trail. The conversation soon turned to the activities inside Heron House. "Oh!" one of the women replied. "Is this it? Is this it? I've been reading about this." Moments later, an elderly couple stopped outside the barrier and the husband took a photo of his wife, with Heron House in the background. Another pensioner chatted with one of the police officers. A few steps away, two women posed for a selfie in front of the building.
Protest over NHS mental health jobs
While officers are based outside Number 10 North every day, that police presence intensifies when the PM is in the building, as was the case on Friday morning when he convened a 'virtual situation room' meeting with England's mayors. Two armed police officers were stationed behind the metal barrier at the front of Heron House, while two others patrolled the surrounding squares of Albert and Lincoln. At one point a wedding party gathered, dressed for one of the best days of their lives, and posed for a photo in front of the patrolling officers.
As the clock ticked towards midday, the first of 30 protesters arrived - carrying a placard and a drum. It was Dr John Mulligan, a rep for Unite the Union and a clinical psychologist. The union had organised a demonstration against a lack of jobs for NHS trained mental health workers in the North West, and what it described as 'workforce waste' in the service. Unite says 77 newly-qualified clinical psychologists will face the prospect of unemployment or leaving the NHS for private practice next month - after £19.25 million of taxpayers' money was spent training them for three years.
"The crisis facing newly qualified clinical psychologists in the North West is part of a much bigger national problem about the future of NHS careers," Dr Mulligan said. "Short-term austerity and so called efficiency savings are wasting public investment and further eroding already desperately under-resourced services. We need sensible long-term workforce planning, permanent NHS careers and safe, effective staff-to-patient ratios in every NHS service. That's better for patients, current staff, the next generation of NHS workers and the long-term use of public money. Planned improvements to the NHS cannot happen unless Unite's demands are met."
Government response and public reaction
The crowd of protesters gathered for photographs before holding speeches using a megaphone outside the front of Heron House, while some handed leaflets out to people in Albert Square. Placards were held which said 'save NHS careers', 'keep our NHS public' and 'don't train us to lose us'. "Andy Burnham, what are you going to do about it?" one protester yelled through the megaphone to loud cheers from her comrades. Unfortunately for them, the PM had already made his escape from Number 10 North, with his cavalcade seen leaving a more private exit around an hour earlier.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "While local recruitment decisions remain the responsibility of NHS trusts, this year has seen continued growth in the wider NHS workforce, including almost 200 more clinical psychologists compared to last year. However, we know there is more to do. The 10-year Workforce Plan will set out how we will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it."
Several people who walked past the protest discussed the concerns of union members with interest, but not everyone was on their side. As he walked past, one man yelled to the crowd: "Yeah well, you can't throw enough money at the NHS, can you?" Under his breath, a union member muttered in response: "Joke."
By 1.15pm the demonstration had cleared. Albert Square was peaceful again - but by now the terrace to the front of Slug and Lettuce was filling up with dinnertime drinkers soaking up the late summer weather. A dad walked past with his three young children, who were full of intrigue and wonder about the dull-looking office block with police outside. "What's that?" asked the youngest daughter. "It's where the Prime Minister works," her dad replied.
