PLANS to take £12.5 million from the NHS budgets in Warrington are “scandalous” according to a local MP.
Warrington North MP Helen Jones is calling on the Government to drop its plans to “drastically” reorganise the NHS, 
after it was revealed that money will be taken from NHS budgets in Warrington to pay for changes over the next two years.
She said: “It is scandalous that the Tory-led Government is telling our local NHS to hold back over £12.5 million to pay for David Cameron’s reckless plans to reorganise the NHS.
“Warrington has already seen a 17 per cent increase in the number of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment since the Tories took office.”
She called on the Government to drop its plans and start concentrating on providing the services that people in Warrington need and deserve.
“This revelation of money being wasted on an unnecessary reorganisation is all the more outrageous as it comes just as our vascular services are under threat of being taken out of Warrington Hospital,” she said.
New guidelines in the Government’s NHS “Operating Framework” document call on Primary Care Trusts to put aside two per cent of their budgets over the next two years to pay for plans to overhaul the NHS.
Ms Jones said that this means across the country £3.44 billion will be held back over the next two years.
MP hits out at NHS budget scandal
44 Comments
Share.
About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
4 Comments
I didn’t notice the woman complaining when Blair threw millions at the NHS that he didn’t have and at the same time squandering that money on setting up departments to waste it. Very little actually got spent where it was needed. Box tickers we don’t need, so the savings can be made there.
As I recall during the tenure of the last Government, spending on the NHS tripled, its performance didn’t triple, but rather too many salaries did. Not sure that the current Government’s reorganisation will bring all the benefits that it should, but there certainly is the capacity for considerable savings to be made, the 2% being mentioned in this article should present no problems, and certainly not the scandal being mentioned. With regards to the changes in the provision of vascular services, I understand a top Warrington doctor feels that such changes are a good thing, he unlike the MP is at least qualified to comment. Provided basic provision is available locally, centres of excellence are a proven method of providing a service, a good example being cancer treatment, with some local provision, then general centres of excellence at Clatterbridge and Christies, with specialist excellence for example for ocular oncology at the Royal Liverpool. I understand that the current Government are increasing the spending on the NHS from about £120 billion to £130 billion over the life time of this Parliament, which I guess in today’s austere climate is good, given the reduction in spending that it is being forced to make elsewhere.
There certainly is room for savings that do not affect treatment. I had a recent hospital appointment book and altered on-line. A very good service. However, the day before my appoinment I got a letter from WGH confirming my appoinment! Why? what a total waste of time and effort. This sort of nonsenmse could be stopped immediately without any clinical effect and certainly save money. I am sure there are other examples.
Do any of these people posting, actual work in the health service or just digging out statements without any facts to back them up. Don’t believe everything the Tory Private health users tell you.
They won’t wait longer for there operations.