Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Health, responding to comments made by the Health Secretary today, said:
“Jeremy Hunt is right to say we’ve got to be supporting doctors and nurses to deliver the highest quality healthcare in the world, but with student nurse bursary cuts and picking a fight with junior doctors, the reality is that the Tory Government just aren’t doing that at the moment.
“We’ve got the lowest number of hospital beds per head in Europe, our GP and A&E services are increasingly over stretched, with pressures exacerbated by cuts to social care, trusts are in record deficit and staff morale is being seriously affected as a result. Just a few weeks ago a royal college of midwives survey showed one third of midwives felt they just didn’t have the time or resources to do their job to a standard they were happy with.
“Jeremy Hunt says the answer can’t just be about money but the reality is the NHS hasn’t got anywhere near the money it asked for, according to Simon Stevens it has a ‘hill to climb’ over the next three years and we will even see per person funding fall for the first time in a generation in 2018-19.
“If Jeremy Hunt wants to support doctors and nurses to deliver a world class service he needs to start with the finances.”
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