Greens condemn plans to cut local NHS services as ‘STP’ proposals partially reveal a cut of 60 million to local NHS services.
The Green Group of Councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council reveal that plans to reduce the deficit in the local NHS include slicing the number of hospital beds, creating GP ‘super practices’ and widespread changes to A&E provisions.
The proposals for cuts have been revealed in part of a ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plan’ report to the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board, which show the measures that local health partnerships are preparing to take to meet central government’s demand for a balanced NHS budget.
The Greens have condemned these new revelations as “devastating,” and demand full and open public consultation on all of the proposed changes.
The disclosure of the report follows months of public pressure and calls from the Green Group to reveal the full plans, which they fear lay the foundations for the selling off of the NHS to eager private providers.
Councillor Dick Page, who sits on the Health and Wellbeing Board, says: “Finally we are starting to see the truth behind the plans to ‘transform’ the NHS. This report may be using lots of nice wording, but let’s be clear – the NHS are being told to cut their services by £60m. Greens fully condemn these plans and their political agenda.
“We are also concerned to see such little opposition from other local parties. In Liverpool and in Camden, Labour controlled councils have been swift to scrutinise and condemn these ‘STPs’ – but not so here. Sadly this proves that the NHS is not safe in Tory – or local Labour hands. We must keep pushing for more of these proposals to be revealed if we are to protect our key services, like hospital beds, A&E and GP surgeries.”
The Greens have called for a special meeting of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to further examine the plans, to be held on December 7.
Cllr Daniel Yates, Labour Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “Our local health and care services are needing all political parties to step forward and be an active part of the solution. We all know that better funding is part of that process. So is avoiding grandstanding. Its time our local green councillors took their responsibilities seriously rather than sitting on the sidelines sniping. Local residents deserve better and expect to see all councillors working hard to make safe and effective services their first priority.
“I’ve been working hard to get local transformation plans made public so that the city’s residents can have their say in whether the plans developed meet their needs I have little time left for finger pointing, hand wringing or blame games.
To read the full Central Sussex & East Surrey Alliance Place – Based Delivery Plan, click here:
You must be logged in to post a comment.