Local MP Annette Brooke calls on the Government to face up to its NHS waste

9.27.17am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 11th Sep 2007

Local MP Annette Brooke today launched a major campaign to call the Government to account over its handling of the NHS.

"After ten years of Labour Government our local NHS is facing real financial pressure," said Annette. "Despite more Government money than ever going into the Health Service, Government mismanagement has meant that we face cuts to training, health services and even hospital closures in some areas," she added.

Annette recently received excellent service from Poole Hospital, recovering from a broken leg earlier in the year. Whilst Poole Hospital is not under threat of closure, Annette feels that there is too much pressure on hard working Nurses and Doctors to meet arbitrary targets which bear little relation to the needs of the patients. In addition, Annette is concerned that the Government's meddling in the NHS has meant vast amounts of taxpayers money wasted

"1 in 5 NHS Trusts were in deficit last year, with a combined deficit of £911m. Meanwhile, the estimated cost of the new NHS computer system has risen from an initial estimate of £6.2bn to £12.4bn. The NHS as a whole was only able to make an overall surplus by forcing NHS Trusts to make drastic cuts to jobs and training and shut wards," commented Annette. "This is shocking, considering we have had five years of record growth in Health Service Spending, with a budget increase of £43bn" she added.

Annette is conducting a constituency wide health survey as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the problems facing the NHS.

Notes to Editors:

Dorset residents can take part in the survey by visiting the survey website at

http://www.libertyresearch.org.uk/take/169 or by accessing her facebook profile (www.facebook.com)

Annette's campaign is part of a wider campaign by the Liberal

Democrats to highlight Labour's failing management of the NHS.

The Lib Dems are calling for:

1 An end to the cuts - hospitals are under threat, staff being made redundant and services slashed. Local General Hospitals need to be protected from yet another reorganisation scheme.

2 Cut the waste - While services are being cut the Government is spending millions on computer systems that have yet to deliver and botched reforms which don't help patients.

3. Listen to local people - Annette is part of a nationwide survey, asking hundreds of thousands of people about their day to day experiences of the NHS. The Government needs to listen to local people and involve them in decision making on vital local services by giving more power to local Government.