My colleague Ron Gold in his
blog referred to the potential lack of doctors in five
years time due to the increased university fees.
The Tories have waited a long time to dismantle the N.H.S.,
and as usual have made only a half hearted attempt at covering
their intent. The Tories promised to increase the N.H.S. budget,
well they did by 0.1%, or one tenth
of one percent, they couldn’t get any lower than that,
could they? Compare that with
the 6% year on year increase [after inflation is taken into
account] from the Labour government, and it looks pathetic.
I know quite a few millionaires, and not one of them use the
N.H.S., not because they are snobs, they still contribute
to the N.H.S. but don’t take resources away from it
by going private, for the simple reason, before they were
millionaires, they were grateful for the N.H.S.
David Cameron’s gratitude
to the NHS for looking after his son is a minuscule 0.1% increase,
but is it really an increase at all.
At the Conservative Party conference on the 5th October 2010
Andrew Lansley the Health Secretary said “as
a Party and as a Coalition Government, we have made our choice:
to cut the deficit, not the NHS.”
Bold words, but only 4 days earlier massive cuts to the N.H.S
had been put in force. The N.H.S. had
been told to make £20billion savings by 2014. A three
year pay freeze on people earning in excess of £21,000.
Other cuts are:
IVF fertility treatment, provided to 40,000 couples a year
in the UK, is being cut: Even though
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s believes “the
NHS has a responsibility to provide fertility services”.
Cuts
Check state that Bury
PCT, which is spending £1.3m more than the £25.8m
it receives in income every month, has also announced that
it’s suspending IVF – along with varicose vein
and cosmetic surgery and homeopathy. It’s also tightening
the criteria for hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery.
The trust plans to save £700,000 in management costs
by not filling vacant posts.
In
Warrington, the PCT has decided to stop funding IVF, although
it will review this decision in July 2011. It also plans to
reduce the number of ophthalmology appointments it makes for
cataract investigation.
South
West Essex PCT says it needs to “decisively”
reduce spending – and “regrettably, this will
have a direct impact on some of our patients, staff and partners”.
Over-spending has reached £3m a month, and the trust
says it’s planning to make savings of £43m.
Nottinghamshire
County PCT is making £80m of “efficiency savings”
over the next two years. Previously, some people have received
tonsillectomies, surgery to relieve snoring and treatment
for varicose veins on the NHS. The PCT is now telling GPs
that this can’t continue, unless there are clear medical
benefits.
Imperial is one
of the biggest trusts in the country and includes St Mary’s,
Charring Cross and Hammersmith hospitals in London. It says:
“In line with all other trusts
we are facing financial challenges linked largely to reduced
income as a result of government plans to deliver healthcare
in community rather than hospital settings.”
Its target is to make savings of £69m, from a turnover
of £900m, by using fewer temporary and agency staff,
“scrutinising any new appointments” and reducing
overtime.
The Coalition also decided that the
NHS should spend £1billion on social care, i.e. care
for those at home. The money previously came out of the Local
Authority budget.
Shadow Health Secretary John Healey
says: “The effect of including and excluding this social
care funding is shown in the table below. Including the funding
is critical to the description of the settlement as a ‘real
terms increase’; without it, funding for the NHS falls
by £500m (0.54 per cent) in real terms.”
Andrew Lansley the Health Secretary said “As
a Party and as a Coalition Government, we have made our choice:
to cut the deficit, not the NHS.”
If you like this article,
hit the “Like” button.
Vic
Farron RFT
Express. .
Follow us on Twitter
::[ over 20,000 already do] ::Be a fan on Facebook
:: and Blogspot
[comment on Blogspot
and our Hosted
Blog, and BT
Tradespace, all high Google Page Ranks ] ::Bookmark this
page using the ‘Share’ button
