news story

19th January 2007

Slash the NHS Debt!

Click here to sign the petition

Many people were shocked by the recent news that the North Bristol NHS Trust has debts of £100 million. It is feared that this could lead to frontline health cuts.  The NHS Trust owes £100 million after taxpayers’ money was used to bail it out of a cash crisis four years ago.

The size of the debt only came to light after Lib Dem MP Steve Webb exposed why the Trust’s application for foundation status had been rejected.  The MP published a letter from the Department of Health which said that the South West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) was concerned about the financial stability of the Trust given its huge debts.  

Lib Dem campaigners are now worried that health chiefs will be forced to make cuts to frontline care in order to pay back some of this debt. Money will be even tighter when the PFI project to build the Southmead ‘super-hospital’ goes ahead. Hospitals across the country with far smaller debts are delaying operations and closing wards to save money.

Filton & Bradley Stoke candidate Emma Bone said:

“This debt is like a millstone round the neck of our local hospitals and will cripple our local NHS for years to come. We must make sure the Department of Health understands how angry local people are about this situation. It must cut the debt as a matter of urgency”.

Emma Bone and Steve Webb have already written to Ministers calling on them to reduce the debts of the North Bristol Trust. If you agree with them, please sign our online petition by clicking on the link above or here.

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See my recent blog posts on this issue here and here