Leech Demands answers on NHS Closures

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 19th Sep 2006

Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, John Leech, has written to health bosses to seek assurances that South Manchester will not have any more of its Hospital services axed under new NHS cuts announced last week.

The new Chief Executive of the NHS, David Nicholson, has stated that there will be up to 60 "reconfigurations" of NHS services, affecting every Health Authority in England. These changes will see the closure of some A&E Departments, Maternity Units and Pediatric Wards in order to reduce multi-million pound deficits in NHS budgets.

John Leech MP has written to the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, and to Mr Nicholson, demanding to know if these cuts will affect NHS services in South Manchester, and opposing any further cuts.

John said:

"It is indefensible that the Labour government have so badly mismanaged the NHS that cuts in services are required despite huge amounts of public money being poured in the Health Service."

"I am horrified to learn that yet more Hospital Departments are to close as a result of this bungling."

"Here in South Manchester we cannot afford any further cuts. We have already lost the A&E and in-patient services at Withington Hospital. Neonatal intensive care beds have also been cut at Wythenshawe Hospital. It is clear that our local Health Services are operating at full stretch."

"I have written to the Secretary of State and the Chief Executive because I want assurances that South Manchester will not suffer any further NHS cuts."

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