Brent NHS In Crisis, Teather Tells Commons
December 20, 2006 3:31 PM
Sarah Teather has spoken up for Brent NHS in Parliament
Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East, Sarah Teather, spoke in the House of Commons yesterday of the financial crisis facing NHS services in Brent.
Speaking up for staff and patients in Brent, the local MP told parliament that the cuts needed to meet the PCT's estimated £53million deficit would have a devastating effect on patient care in the borough.
Much of the bill will be foisted onto Brent Council and the voluntary sector, as the PCT withdraws funding for vital community work such as family planning services, carer's centres, bereavement counselling, sexual health, drugs and alcohol services, and outreach workers to GP's offices.
Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:
"These cuts will hit the poorest and most vulnerable in our community hardest. Preventative health programmes are vital in keeping people out of hospital in the first place. If we scrap programmes such as drugs and alcohol services we are simply creating more costly problems further down the line.
"There has been a dearth of credible information on this issue from the PCT and the Government. This creates confusion and fear for Brent patients, and makes it virtually impossible for the Brent Council or voluntary groups to plan for the future.
"The so-called consultation process has so far been little more than forcing Brent Council to rubber stamp the PCT's plans. It is outrageous that the Brent taxpayer could be forced to stump up for this Government's financial incompetence.
"As the scale of the cuts continues to rise, the Government must guarantee that services will be prioritised according to clinical need and not political expediency. I was pleased to raise this crucial issue in parliament, and will continue my fight for our local services in the New Year."
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