News Date: Monday 10th April 2006
Tim criticises Government over NHS finance fiasco
With NHS debts growing every day, East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton has again called on the Government to take urgent action to prevent further cutbacks and more job losses.
Tim's comments come in the light of news of a double-blow in Sussex - Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust have announced that they will be cutting over 7% of their workforce in a bid to save ?10 million in the next financial year and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust have confirmed that they will be shedding around 400 jobs in a bid to reduce their current debt, which is one of the highest in England.
Tim commented:
"The Government's mismanagement of the NHS finances means that we are likely to see job losses of 15,000-20,000 across the country. As the news from both Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust shows, the Government has lost control of NHS finances and the impact of this is now being felt throughout the entire health service.
"Staff are destabilised and demoralised and patients are understandably increasingly fearful of the level of service they can expect to be delivered in a 'cutback' climate. This crisis also means that those who have trained to work in the NHS are not able to find jobs.
In total some 25,000 job losses could be possible across the service as a whole. Tim commented:
"Staff continue to do a very good job in the face of such difficult circumstances but the situation can only get worse when the Chancellor turns off the money flow next year. Too much money has been wasted on too many people performing administrative tasks created by a Government obsessed with the production of paperwork.
He continued:
"This matter affects my constituents at all levels. It is simply not good enough for Ministers to continue to fail to exercise the oversight that we all expect, and instead remain ignorant and resolute in the face of a crisis of such scale.
"It is now clear that NHS organisations must be given more freedom to manage their resources as they see fit. This is vital for the best interests of hospitals, staff and patients alike.
ENDS
Note to editors
Details of finance and performance at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust can be accessed at http://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/news/press_releases/20060404-turnaround.asp
More details are available via Tim Loughton's Westminster office on 020 7219 4471
?, Tim Loughton MP , 2006
