| Spin Operation by Whitehall Ministers Against Our NHS |
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| Sunday, 19 November 2006 | |
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The growing public backlash at the Government’s NHS cuts took a new turn today as it was revealed that Labour Ministers are actively involved in planning the cuts and managing the media fallout in Yorkshire.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Department of Health has been forced to publish ‘heat maps’, showing the 77 NHS services on the Government’s hitlist - where media interest on cutbacks and closures is focused now and ‘in the future’. Ministers and Labour Party officials have been holding meetings to work out ways of closing hospitals and minimise the negative media coverage in order to avoid losing marginal Parliamentary seats at the next general election. The maps highlight the NHS organisations most at risk of cutbacks and closure, and where media attention is highest as a result. Across Yorkshire and the Humber there are significant cuts to the NHS, including acute Hospital multi-site working (i.e. some of the multiple sites face closure) and to acute Hospital women's and children's services. Miss Anne McIntosh, MP for the Vale of York, commented: “These leaked papers expose the fact that Labour Ministers have a sinister hospital closure plan, and are conspiring with Labour Party officials to minimise the political fallout. Labour Ministers’ obsession with spin and managing the media tells us that ministers are not interested in the long-term interests of the North Yorkshire’s residents, but are obsessed with saving their own political skin. “Whilst NHS staff are concerned about how they can treat their patients, the Department of Health is more interested in how the media report Gordon Brown’s NHS cuts.” Source: Epolitix.com           Readers have left 2 comments.
Kathy:
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These cuts are New Labours way of demolishing the NHS. They came into power in 1997 saying that they would reform the NHS and now in 2006 they have only managed to reform it into bankruptcy.I have worked for the best part of the last 40 years as a nurse and have seen all of the changes over that time. Yes it was the Tories who started the 'privatisation' but from where I stand, on the 'shop floor' of the NHS, I am seeing this Government slowly destroying it day by day. Yes they have invested millions of pounds into the NHS but only to achieve their waiting list targets so that at the next election they can show that they have kept their promises. What they do not tell you is that in doing this they have not only made many surgeons very rich but have also put patient care at risk by giving contracts to Private Hospitals to have operations performed on NHS patients. In some cases doctors have been coming in from Europe for weekend sessions of operating on those patients or in other cases the operations have been performed by surgeons from other parts of the country. This means that many patients, believing that they may get better treatment in the Private Hospital, are being operated on by surgeons they have never met before and who may not be as good as their local surgeon who has been treating them in the outpatient departments prior to surgery. I have seen this myself as I have worked in the private sector also. I have also seen that when complications occur, causing the patient to need further surgery, they go back to the bottom of the waiting list. This is how the numbers are manipulated.
The government keeps warning us of a pending Flu Epidemic or even Pandemic. They have already said that there is insufficient vaccine and medication available if or when it occurs but if they continue to close hospitals as they are planning to it will also mean that there will be insufficient beds to treat those who will be affected. If for no other reason than this, I would question their current strategy. There is no money left for the NHS but we are spending millions on Blair's illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Wars which are putting extra pressure on the NHS facilities as there are hundreds if not thousands of servicemen and women returning to this country wounded. This is something we are not told about.
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2006-11-19 11:16:35
Roger G:
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I wonder if they would be trying to close NHS hospitals if they weren't spending so much on keeping troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(2)
2006-11-21 10:29:21
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