News Date: Thursday 10th February 2005
Loughton: Adur, Arun and Worthing loses out again
Tim Loughton MP for East Worthing and Shoreham said today that the Government's announcement that 'historic' levels of funding about to be allocated to Primary Care Trusts (PCT?s) is no more than a devious rhetoric.
The £135 billion that has been pledged to primary care trusts in the next two financial years will mostly be eaten up by vast deficits that the trusts are already running in, as well as paying for initiatives set out in previous years which are lagging behind.
Tim Loughton commented:
'Not only is this a complete non-announcement, given that most of this money is going to resuscitate trusts which are drowning in debt due to heavy handed target setting Whitehall bureaucrats, to no distinct advantage of any patient, but I am appalled to see that my constituency PCT of Adur, Arun and Worthing has been allocated one of the lowest amounts of funding of the whole country with only an 8.2% increase.'
'The Government is doing nothing to cut waste; all this money is going to fuel more bureaucracy rather than improving patient healthcare. A Conservative government would be doing the exact opposite ? cutting waste, removing targets, dissolving bureaucracy and concentrating spending on doctors and nurses and medical care for patients where it matters. A Conservative government would allow direct spending to benefit the patient. It is not rocket science but sadly seems to beyond the economic comprehension of our befuddled health ministers.'
ENDS
Note to editors:
1. The King's Fund think tank have also warned that the Government rhetoric oversteps what the Government is actually able to deliver. For more information, please contact the media and public relations office on 020 7307 2585
2. Most of the £135 billion will have to pay for the Agenda for change, the General Medical Services (GMS) contract and the consultant contract
3. Other costs that will be covered by this funding are: extra pension costs, rising demand for health services and health inflation.
