So very New Labour

In Cambridgeshire, like many places around the UK there is an NHS funding crisis, with trusts having to tackle huge deficits by making extremely severe cuts.

One of the local hospitals, Hinchingbrooke, has to cut £6.5 million of its £80 million budget (just over 8%). Management have sent 200 workers letters telling them they may be made redundant in August which will go part way to making the savings. Understandably the workforce is pretty demoralised.

Because Patricia Hewitt is a marvel at PR she chooses this time to tell the Cambridge Evening News "Done right, this will improve patient care" because reducing beds means patients get the lovely treat of being sick at home where they will be more comfy (honestly). The fact they have no choice in the matter is beside the point I suppose.

But Hewitt is not the only one who has managed to enrage those already very concerned about local health care. Hinchingbrooke’s managers have chosen this time to spend £250,000 on management consultants (the evil KPMG, HQ pictured right) Apparently they will be looking at the stationary budget, which is £270,000, and seeing if they can cut this down as it won’t affect patient care. Does that make sense?

Leaving aside the fact that cutting the stationery budget probably will damage patient care, unless they intend to cut all but a few thousand quid of the entire budget they can’t possibly save more than they cost.

Bastards. What was it Kinnock said in 1983? “I warn you not to be ordinary, I warn you not to be young, I warn you not to fall ill, I warn you not to get old.” Quite.

Couple of links of interest

Cambridge Evening News on this story

A recent summary of the local problems on Cambridge Indymedia

Article I wrote about the crisis in health care nationally which was adapted for a more local flavour as an Indymedia feature