IF the controversial proposal to merge Warrington and Halton hospitals with Whiston Hospital goes ahead it will be because of Labour’s wasteful spending, according to senior Lib Dem councillor Ian Marks.
As a result, the choice of hospitals currently available to patients from Warrington could be in jeopardy, he says.
Whiston Hospital, on Merseyside, was rebuilt under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) – but according to Cllr Marks it was a “profligate and wasteful” scheme set up by Labour.
A row has now flared because of a statement by a government minister that a merger with Warrington and Halton Hospitals is one of the options being considered to ease funding problems.
Cllr Marks, leader of the Lib Dem group on Warrington council said: “Patients from Warrington are fortunate to have a choice of hospitals they can be referred to for treatment.
“As well as the hospitals in the borough and at Halton, new facilities at Whiston and Wythenshawe are easily accessible. Some patients choose to be referred to teaching hospitals in Manchester and Liverpool.
“Unfortunately the way in which the rebuilding of Whiston and Wythenshawe was financed is now placing that choice at risk and is causing great uncertainty. Both were funded using a PFI, which involves the private sector raising money for the re-build. This is then recouped by leasing facilities and charging for services over a long period, like 30 years.
“At Whiston alone the £250 million project completed last year is generating an annual bill of £20 million which is proving difficult to meet.”
Cllr Marks said that both Warrington North MP Helen Jones and Nick Bent, the Labour candidate for Warrington South denied at the time of the last election that such a problem would arise.
He went on: “They must have been well aware of the coming problem but are now pretending to be surprised by the mess their government left our health service in and the impact it will have on the patients in Warrington.
“The last Labour government’s profligate use of a funding mechanism to hide public spending involving the private sector in the provision of public services, is coming home to roost.
“It will be patients in Warrington who suffer uncertainty while this mess is sorted out. Labour increased Health Service spending massively and the Coalition Government has promised to protect the Health Service budget. But even that amount of spending is unlikely to prove adequate to keep up payments on the glossy new facilities at Whiston and Wythenshawe, while protecting other health provision in the town. Local Liberal Democrats are committed to fighting to protect the best interests of Warrington residents.”
IF the controversial proposal to merge Warrington and Halton hospitals with Whiston Hospital goes ahead it will be because of Labour's wasteful spending, according to senior Lib Dem councillor Ian Marks.
Hospital merger would hit patients
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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.
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I’m ignoring all the ‘it’s your fault’ tittle tattle .. I have no interest in who’s fault it is I only have an interest in what can be done about it now. Perhaps labour and libs can put their efforts into working together on this issue instead of spouting the usual jibes and finger pointing!! Anyway……………According to the other local paper today a union chief says Warrington Hospital “would be demolished and the services moved away ” if the merger takes place. Is this true !?! Warrington Hospital is always very busy and serves both local people and those from slightly further afield for outpatients appointments, A&E and everything else. The distance to whiston from my front door is 11 miles with an estimated time of 25 minutes. How will the elderly and those with no transport get to Whiston? A long bus journey is not too bad if you feel well but not many people go to hospital because they are ‘well’. Saying that we will still have Halton Hospital and that is often quicker to get too than Warrington with no need to go through town centre so less traffic holdups and also it’s much easier to park !! I spent 35 minutes trying to find a parking space at Warrington Hospital 2 weeks ago and it wasn’t even visiting time, only 20 minutes the time after though !!!!
This is just some politically motivated union leader spouting irresponsible nonsense. There is no way Warrington Hospital would be demolished
I did wonder about that hence me asking IF it was true. Scaremongering should not be allowed especially by higer profile/union people and this point should be publically clarified by the Council ! If they don’t rumours will flow, panic will set in and a lot of people will not only waste a lot of time and energy worrying about something that will not happen but before we know it there will be a “Save Warrington Hospital” campaign popping up too 😉
Can we just inject a little reality into this situation? We have a brand new, state of the art, energy efficient, £250 million pound hospital at Whiston. Paying for it is costing £20 million a year over the next 30 years. That works out at the equivalent of an annual mortgage interest rate of about 6.75% over those 30 years, not too bad for a commercial loan rate – especially when inflation is running at around 4% so the developers are actually only seeing a real terms return on their investment of well under 3%. In addition to this, the developers are providing the additional services mentioned in the article (facilities management, repairs, maintainance, etc.) OUT OF THE SAME £20 MILLION A YEAR. Actually sounds like quite a good deal to me.
Put like that it does sound like a good deal… so what is the problem and why are they saying it’s running at a huge loss (or whatever the reason was). I’d like to add another bit of ‘reality’ and that is as usual all we are hearing is that may be a merger which means what exactly ? Could it be that both Warrington and Whiston will remain open with Whiston dealing with the certain conditions or procedures and Warrington others……we already have that with the Halton and Warr hospital anyway. Could it be that Warrington will close as the union chap is rumouring (doubtful as Warrington is a very busy hospital). This is just another case of hot air being spouted by various people (including Cllr Marks in his above finger pointing at his opposition) but WITHOUT actually giving us the public and actual facts or details so we get drawn into the bickering and uncertanty too. Maybe if they actually told us more including what a possible merger would entail it may not actually be as bad as it sounds !!! Someone (including the former leaders of the council who only went a month ago and the local NHS) must know the ideas being thrown around otherwise it wouldn’t be hitting the headlines would it . So come on give us a clue… “merger” means what ? Is there a doctor in the forum house 🙂