Published: July 25th 2010 - at 9:30 am

Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS


by Newswire    

Some of the most common operations — including hip replacements and cataract surgery — will be rationed as part of attempts to save billions of pounds, despite government promises that front-line services would be protected.

Patients’ groups have described the measures as “astonishingly brutal”.

An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has uncovered widespread cuts planned across the NHS, many of which have already been agreed by senior health service officials. They include:

  • Restrictions on some of the most basic and common operations, including hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery and orthodontic procedures.
  • Plans to cut hundreds of thousands of pounds from budgets for the terminally ill, with dying cancer patients to be told to manage their own symptoms if their condition worsens at evenings or weekends.
  • The closure of nursing homes for the elderly.
  • A reduction in acute hospital beds, including those for the mentally ill, with targets to discourage GPs from sending patients to hospitals and reduce the number of people using accident and emergency departments.
  • Tighter rationing of NHS funding for IVF treatment, and for surgery for obesity.
  • Thousands of job losses at NHS hospitals, including 500 staff to go at a trust where cancer patients recently suffered delays in diagnosis and treatment because of staff shortages.
  • Cost-cutting programmes in paediatric and maternity services, care of the elderly and services that provide respite breaks to long-term carers.

…more at the Sunday Telegraph


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Reader comments


1. S McG

But there has been no change to NHS budgets – they are exactly the same as they would have been if labour had won.
So these are in fact labour cuts

2. Charles Wheeler

Why is this news. It’s common knowledge that the Tories want to dismantle the NHS in favour of private insurance-based healthcare. ‘Socialised’ healthcare may be more efficient and equitable, but it’s ideologically unsound because it obstructs the market and involves redistribution – transgressing the ultimate neoliberal commandment: ‘Taxation is theft’. The fact that the Lib Dem leadership also want to move to an insurance-based health system smooths the way – and the economic crisis caused by the bank bailout provides the perfect pretext for forcing people into the private sector.

The only surprise is why anyone is surprised.

3. Bob B

With the intended NHS cuts in regular surgical procedures such as hip replacements and cataracts, can we expect the gap to be filled by volunteers?

4. Flowerpower

Typical leftie bureaucrats attempting to make the government unpopular through wrongly targeted economies. Well done the right-wing Sunday Telegraph for exposing it.

5. Bob B

“Typical leftie bureaucrats”

If so, presumably, they’ll soon be jobless unless GPs kindly offer a few some commissioning work.

6. Tim J

The savings identified in the Telegraph piece look like a dictionary definition of “The Parade of Bleeding Stumps”. You ask a govt department or state-funded sector to find savings, and they suck their teeth and say, “Well, we could save you £20m if we sell orphan children to the rendering plant, or close all the maternity wards in Wales.”

It’s a time-honoured tradition, and explains why the coalition are demanding that depts produce plans for 45% cuts, so that they get some sensible proposals rather than devices designed to prove that no cuts whatsoever are possible.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  2. Sam Maher

    Lies, damned lies and Conservatives. RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  3. Dirk vom Lehn

    RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  4. Nick Watts

    RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  5. SEAN

    RT @libcon Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  6. Mike Everett

    RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  7. AdamRamsay

    RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x #noshock

  8. SSP Campsie

    RT @AdamRamsay: RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x #noshock

  9. robwinder

    I hear NHS staff have been told to 'look busy' to safeguard their jobs RT @libcon: Widespread cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  10. Alice Taylor

    RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  11. A and B Mundy-Castle

    RT @libcon: Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x

  12. Iain Tatch

    So much for protected health budget? RT @libcon Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/d56p0x #fb

  13. Rachel Hardy

    RT @libcon Widespread front-line cuts planned across NHS http://bit.ly/9xptOc





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