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Originally Posted by Sythree
 Mr Angry from Shropshire writes - the Shropshire Primary Care Trust is insisting that all the NHS trusts in Shropshire slash their budgets to recover a whopping great shortfall. Management consultants were brought in  - no doubt at huge expense - one recommendation was to close one of the A&Es at Shrewsbury or Telford, or more exactly, to make one for 'non-emergencies'. So if you come off your bike at Welshpool the ambo might have to bring you to Telford - some 45 - 50 miles away. Terrific!!!
In response to the PCT demands, the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has frozen recruitment for 85 vacancies and yesterday announced plans to cut 300 jobs.
But don't forget. The tax increases we've had under Labour were for health and education. The hell they were 
How Blair and that dreadful Patricia Hewitt woman can live with themselves, I just don't know, and the sooner they're kicked out the better.
Cameron has made the Tories so much more acceptable than they were. They might not be perfect but I can't believe that anyone woudl be as bad as this lot. |
Health expedniture has grown very rapidly since 1997; the trouble is with an ageing population and a belief that everyone should have everythinfg done immediately it has becoming increasingly difficult to control expenditure and many PCTs are over budget. However at the level quoted here you have to wonder whether a bit of local mis-managment has come into play? I think it's a bit hard to blame central governmnet for this one - it is extermely diffcult to believe a Tory government would have put the same kind of money (let alone more) into the NHS.
The education budget has also increased substantially.
This isn't to say there aren't a number of areas where this government has fouled up - my personal view is their biggest errors have been the whole spin culture which means no one believes anything they say and Iraq.
I think it's difficult at this range to predict the outcome of the next election as I think it largely (as ever) depends on the economy and people's perception of their affluence or otherwise. I think it is unlikely Cameron has got the exertise and experience to win - so I would go for a Labour victory or maybe a hung parliament.