Election 2017: Labour promises to stop NHS hospital closures at once if they win

One in six A&E departments face being closed or downgraded in next four years

Health Correspondent

Wednesday 03 May 2017 08:16 BST

Conservatives have dismissed the vow as ‘another nonsensical Jeremy Corbyn idea’ (PA)

Labour has promised to stop A&E and other hospital department closures at once if they are elected, saying the Conservative proposals have caused “widespread concern and confusion”.

Plans to reform NHS services, drawn up in 44 areas of England, are designed to save money and improve efficiency but have proved unpopular in some regions as they involve ward closures and cuts in bed numbers.

Jonathan Ashworth said he will halt the controversial Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) programme and launch a full review into the changes if Labour wins on 8 June.

The shadow health secretary said it was a “disgrace” that decisions on the future of hospitals are being made “behind closed doors with no genuine involvement of local people”, as “the public deserves better.”

“We have listened to the hundreds of patients and campaigners up and down the country that have been pleading with the Government to hear their concerns about their local services,” he said.

“Threats of hospitals being closed, A&E services moved miles up the road, and children's wards being shut, have caused widespread concern and confusion.”

A recent analysis of the proposals found that one in six A&E departments face being closed or downgraded in the next four years.

Philip Hammond claims the Tories are 'the party of the NHS' during Budget 2017

In March’s Budget, Philip Hammond announced a £325m funding boost for STPs, saying: “We are the party of the NHS”.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) warned this funding fell short of what was needed to deliver the programme, while health campaigners called the plans “sneaky” due to a lack of clarity over structures and accountability.

“Local people should be at the heart of decisions about how care is provided,” said Mr Ashworth. “My first job as secretary of state will be to review every single STP proposal looking at what's in the interest of quality of patient care.”

Labour said it will create a new body called NHS Excellence to lead the review into the major changes to local health services proposed by the plans, which are being devised in an attempt to plug a £22bn hole in NHS budgets by 2021.

But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt dismissed Mr Ashworth’s promise as “just another nonsensical Jeremy Corbyn idea”.

He said: “These local plans are developed by local doctors and communities, backed by the top doctors and nurses of the NHS, and will improve patient care.”

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: ”The purpose of the STP process was a good thing – to bring fragmented parts of the system together.

“But it is based on the fantasy that there is enough money to deliver this vision, when STPs will be hundreds of millions of pounds short.

“The real question is: which party is prepared to take the tough action to increase investment? Only the Lib Dems will make the case for increasing tax to guarantee the future of the NHS.”

Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

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1/6Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

The elderly

“We acknowledge that there are pressures on the health service, there are always extra pressures on the NHS in the winter, but we have the added pressures of the ageing population and the growing complex needs of the population,” Theresa May has said. Waits of over 12 hours in A&E among elderly people have more than doubled in two years, according to figures from NHS Digital.

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Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

Patients going to A&E instead of seeing their GPs

Jeremy Hunt has called for a “honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments”, saying that around a third of A&E patients were in hospital unnecessarily. Mr Hunt told Radio 4’s Today programme the NHS now had more doctors, nurses and funding than ever, but explained what he called “very serious problems at some hospitals” by suggesting pressures were increasing in part because people are going to A&Es when they should not. He urged patients to visit their GP for non-emergency illnesses, outlined plans to release time for family doctors to support urgent care work, and said the NHS will soon be able to deliver seven-day access to a GP from 8am to 8pm. But doctors struggling amid a GP recruitment crisis said Mr Hunt’s plans were unrealistic and demanded the Government commit to investing in all areas of the overstretched health service.

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Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

Simon Stevens, head of NHS England

Reports that “key members” of Ms May’s team used internal meetings to accuse Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, of being unenthusiastic and unresponsive have been rejected by Downing Street. Mr Stevens had allegedly rejected claims made by Ms May that the NHS had been given more funding than required.

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Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

Previous health policy, not funding

In an interview with Sky News’s Sophy Ridge, Ms May acknowledged the NHS faced pressures but said it was a problem that had been “ducked by government over the years”. She refuted the claim that hospitals were tackling a “humanitarian crisis” and said health funding was at record levels. “We asked the NHS a while back to set out what it needed over the next five years in terms of its plan for the future and the funding that it would need,” said the Prime Minister. “They did that, we gave them that funding, in fact we gave them more funding than they required… Funding is now at record levels for the NHS, more money has been going in.” But doctors accused Ms May of being “in denial” about how the lack of additional funding provided for health and social care were behind a spiralling crisis in NHS hospitals.

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Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

Target to treat all A&E patients within four hours

Mr Hunt was accused of watering down the flagship target to treat all A&E patients within four hours. The Health Secretary told MPs the promise – introduced by Tony Blair’s government in 2000 – should only be for “those who actually need it”. Amid jeers in the Commons, Mr Hunt said only four other countries pledged to treat all patients within a similar timeframe and all had “less stringent” rules. But Ms May has now said the Government will stand by the four-hour target for A&E, which says 95 per cent of patients must be dealt with within that time frame.

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Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis – except themselves

No one

Mr Hunt was accused of “hiding” from the public eye following news of the Red Cross’s comments and didn’t make an official statement for two days. He was also filmed refusing to answer questions from journalists who pursued him down the street yesterday to ask whether he planned to scrap the four-hour A&E waiting time target. Sky News reporter Beth Rigby pressed the Health Secretary on his position on the matter, saying “the public will want to know, Mr Hunt”. “Sorry Beth, I’ve answered questions about this already,” replied Mr Hunt. “But you didn’t answer questions on this. You said it was over-interpreted in the House of Commons and you didn’t want to water it down. Is that what you’re saying?” said Ms Rigby. “It’s very difficult, because how are we going to explain to the public what your intention is, when you change your position and then won’t answer the question, Mr Hunt”. But the Health Secretary maintained his silence until he reached his car and got in.

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Mr Ashworth was also questioned on ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme over whether a Labour government would use nuclear weapons in retaliation or in a pre-emptive strike – a question Diane Abbott refused to answer yesterday.

“The responsible thing in this situation is to not speculate about hypotheticals,” he said.

“I am giving you the reassurance that we are prepared to use our nuclear weapons, of course we are. We will never compromise on the safety of this country, we will do what is necessary.”

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