06.09.11
Patients’ funding is being spent on reforms – Labour
Labour is claiming that money from the health budget is being held back to cover the cost of the NHS reforms, ahead of the debate in Parliament on the amended Health & Social Care Bill today and tomorrow.
They claim that 2% of the £89bn budget is being used to pay for the reorganisation of the health service, with another £1bn to be spent on redundancy payments for staff whose jobs will be cut in management positions – many of whom are likely to be re-employed in new positions.
John Healey, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said: “Nearly £2bn is being held back to cover the cost and the risk of the reorganisation. That is money that was promised for patient care.
“The reorganisation is piling extra pressure on the NHS, so finances are tight and every one of the 150 Primary Care Trusts are holding back 2% of their budget because they need to cover the cost of it.
“So that money is not there for patients and that’s one of the reasons that you’re starting to see treatments cut back [and] waiting times rise.”
He called the reorganisation of the NHS “reckless” and said £850m will be spent on redundancies alone.
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