Tory private operations subsidy will cripple local NHS (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

South West Surrey Liberal Democrats <info@swsurreylibdems.org.uk>

Tory private operations subsidy will cripple local NHS

August 2, 2004 8:07 PM

Conservative Party plans to subsidise private operations from NHS funds could result in the loss of two or more wards from community hospitals in West Surrey.

The Tories are suggesting that people who pay for a private operation should get 50% of the cost paid for from NHS funds. The money, they argue, should follow the patient and would be taken from the budget of the NHS in the patient's area.

SW Surrey Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman, Simon Cordon, has hit out at the private subsidy policy saying it would "cripple the already cash starved NHS in our area".

Mr Cordon, who is a relentless campaigner in support of West Surrey's NHS facilities, has calculated that the Conservative plan would see at least £2 million being taken from the local NHS each year. "The Conservatives estimate that 5% of people might take their subsidy up. I think it could be higher in West Surrey. But taking the 5% estimate this equates to £2 million per year, depending on the mix of operations. Cataracts for instance are at the lower end, but if all these subsidised private operations were hip or knee replacements the figure would rise to £2.791 million every year taken directly out of the NHS budget in West Surrey. That's the same as closing two or three wards in our community hospitals".

Mr Cordon is calling on local Conservatives to disown the subsidy plan. "Whatever the Tories are playing at nationally one thing is for certain, in West Surrey the policy would cripple the already cash starved NHS in our area. Our local NHS is already badly underfunded and is facing a budget crisis. If local Conservatives are to be believed when they say they support our local hospitals then they must disown this damaging policy being put forward by Michael Howard and his team".

"There is no new national magical pot of money for the Conservatives' private operations subsidy. The money will come direct from our local NHS budgets and in our area these budgets cannot take any more pressure", added Mr Cordon.