SOS for the NHS

9.46.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 25th Jun 2007

Selly Oak Liberal Democrats are supporting a major national Lib Dem campaign to save the NHS from Labour's cuts and incompetence. The campaign calls for an end to savage NHS cuts, for the Government to stop wasting millions of pounds of health spending and for local people to have more say over local health services.

Party Leader Ming Campbell said, "I know from my own experience just how important the NHS is, and how hard nurses, doctors and other staff work.

"But by trying to control every detail of what goes on in the NHS the Labour Government has wasted money and caused a massive wave of cuts."

The Liberal Democrats have also called for more common sense when it comes to using the private sector in the NHS.

The Labour Government has paid more for services from the private sector when the same operations could be provided more cheaply within the NHS. The Government's own figures show that operations bought from the private sector through Independent Treatment Centres cost 9% MORE than the equivalent NHS cost.

"Labour's dogma has got in the way of common sense," said local councillor Dave Radcliffe. "The result is that operations cost more while investment is sucked out of the NHS."

You can support the Liberal Democrat campaign for good quality local health services by signing the petition at http://www.nhssos.com/

Related Links:

Liberal Democrats on Health.

Lib Dem NHS Watch website.