Health Service Rally Planned by County's Liberal Democrats

12.52.36pm GMT Tue 16th Jan 2007

Worcestershire's deepening health service crisis means that the newly formed Worcestershire Primary Care Trust must save nearly £17million by the end of this financial year to balance its books. Fears that PCT bosses will be forced to impose huge cuts to meet the target have prompted West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt, to call for a mass public rally to defend local NHS services.

Protesters will be invited to gather for the march and rally at Priory Park, Malvern on Saturday 10 March. Further details will be released once discussions on timing and the route have taken place with the police and other authorities.

"Last year, the former South Worcestershire PCT announced cuts to 19 health services including cancer care beds, district nurses and out-of-hours GP services.

"Public outrage and delays in axing the services led to the suspension of many of the cuts. But now the new PCT has inherited the debts of all three previous primary care trusts - South Worcestershire, Redditch and Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest - which merged last October.

"New chief executive, Paul Bates, has admitted that he has no new plans to save £17 million, except by revisiting cuts similar to those rejected as unacceptable last year.

"Adding to the pressure, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt told the Health Select Committee in November that she would take "personal responsibility" to balance NHS books by the end of this financial year.

"Of course we need to make services more efficient, but Gordon Brown's 'Alice in Wonderland' accounting rules, constant reorganisation and moving Whitehall targets have plunged many NHS trusts into financial difficulties and left no room for any solution other than cuts.

"That is why I am determined to ensure that local people have their say. We need to send a clear message to Patricia Hewitt and Gordon Brown that you can't pay for government's NHS mismanagement with hospital beds and patient services in Worcestershire."