PRESS RELEASES

Thursday, 17th November 2005

NHS Spending Cuts Will Hurt Patients

Patricia Hewitt has ordered a policy of zero tolerance to overspending by NHS trusts to eliminate a forecast deficit of up to £700m. The cuts will hit hospitals as doctors and nurses come under extra pressure from patients affected by colder weather. In many areas, NHS managers will have to close wards and reduce staffing by leaving vacancies unfilled and cutting back on use of agency staff. A Department of Health spokesman said Ms Hewitt was introducing the policy in an attempt to break a pervasive attitude among doctors and managers that the government will always bail out trusts if they cannot balance the books, adding that trusts had to "experience pain locally".

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Tooting, Stephanie Dearden said:-
 

It is ludicrous for the Department of Health to call for better planning by NHS trusts when its disjointed approach to a market for health services makes it impossible for local trusts to plan effectively. It is the Government that has created financial instability in the NHS. It is the Government that must take responsibility for the resulting cuts in frontline services.
 

ENDS

  Stephanie Dearden

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Tooting

Notes to editors

1. More: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservices/story/0,11032,1644348,00.html
2. If you would like to arrange an interview with Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Tooting Stephanie Dearden then please call 020-7771-2551 or 07985-649807 or 07754 583090
3. Official photographs here http://www.stephaniedearden.org/smd_mugs/index.htm