Martin welcomes NHS bed cut rethink (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

Martin welcomes NHS bed cut rethink

February 25, 2010 4:42 PM

CHELTENHAM MP Martin Horwood has welcomed a rethink by the local NHS on the 200 bed closures threatened by the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that runs both Gloucester Royal and Cheltenham General. But he is pressing on with a summit meeting tomorrow with NHS Gloucestershire Chief Executive Jan Stubbings to discuss the financial situation in the NHS in Gloucestershire.

'It's clear the Hospitals Trust has come under intense political pressure' said Martin 'and not just from local politicians and campaigners. But I don't want this to go away for the duration of the General Election campaign and then come back to sting us afterwards. I have warned already that pressure on NHS spending could lead to cuts in vital services and I want to be reassured that the financial situation in the local NHS is robust enough to withstand government cutbacks in the future.'

'In 2006, we had plenty of assurances that the cuts would not affect the delivery of local services but we were soon faced with the closure of our maternity ward, the loss of IVF, cutbacks in mental health services and many other threatened cuts and closures. In the end, we saved the maternity ward, IVF was restored and the mental health services are recovering - but it was a real struggle. I'm prepared to fight these battles again and the announcement of bed cuts was a worrying signal. I'm glad the NHS is rethinking the plan they announced but I want some pretty cast-iron assurances tomorrow about the local financial situation.'