BLUNT WELCOMES NEWS THAT EAST SURREY HOSPITAL DEBT IS TO END BUT WARNS SERVICE PROVISION WILL SUFFERSOUTH EAST FOOTS THE BILL FOR LABOUR’S GERRYMANDERING – “AGAIN”
Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate today welcomed the news that Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust should now be able to clear its outstanding deficit of £56 million within three years. In an announcement made yesterday, the Trust stated that it has secured financial support from the Department of Health in the NHS South East Coast area. The support is conditional on the Trust repaying £21.7 million from its own surplus, funds that would otherwise have been invested in services for patients.
The Trust has been in financial crisis since 2001 when the reorganisation of Crawley and East Surrey Hospitals was stopped. In a paper published in January 2005 Crispin Blunt revealed that the delay in the reconfiguration of healthcare was politically motivated. In the run-up to the 2001 General Election Laura Moffatt, MP for Crawley, lobbied for a moratorium on the move of services from Crawley Hospital. Despite advice that this imperilled patient safety and finances, Health Secretary Alan Milburn agreed, Crawley being a very marginal seat. Since 2001 Crispin Blunt has consistently demanded that the Government step in to reduce the hospital’s deficit caused by this political intervention. As recently as January this year Mr Blunt secured a debate in Parliament in which he set out the case for Government intervention to end the trust’s deficit.
Speaking this morning Crispin Blunt said:
“I welcome the news that at last the Department of Health is prepared to help correct the financial crisis at East Surrey that was triggered by the disgraceful intervention of the Secretary of State in 2001. Since 2001 East Surrey hospital has been paying a very high price for the politically motivated decisions taken by Labour.
Mr Blunt also drew attention to the fact that the £34 million provided by the Department of Health is coming from the South East region rather than from central funds. The hospital will still have to generate a surplus to pay the remaining £21.7 million.
“The money that has been secured should be coming from central government funds – the government caused this mess but the South East is being forced to pay for it. Meanwhile the hospital will still be spending money to repay a debt that was imposed in the interests of the Labour Party. That is money that would otherwise be spent providing a better service to my constituents amongst many others. But I am grateful that this long-running campaign for East Surrey Hospital to regain control of its finances appears to be bearing fruit.”
