STAFF AND PATIENTS HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR GOVERNMENT'S NHS DEADLINE - RICHARD BURT

5.30.31pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Jun 2007

West Worcestershire Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt, has today expressed outrage that financial balance in the NHS has been achieved at the cost of nearly 1000 training places for medical professionals.

As the NHS publishes its annual spending figures, statistics obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that health authorities across the UK cut £135 million from training budgets for doctors, nurses and other health workers in order to balance the books.

Richard Burt said:

"The NHS has clawed its way out of overall debt, but at what cost? One wonders how many more training places for staff there could have been in Worcestershire. I will be looking into this further on behalf of the people of West Worcestershire.

"Tony Blair's true legacy on the NHS is one of boom and bust - two steps forward, one step back.

"Over the past year, trusts across the West Midlands region have made harsh cuts to staff and services and raided training and mental health budgets to meet the Government's political deadline of breaking even this year.

"This problem is far from over. There is still a gross deficit of over £900 million, with a fifth of organisations in the red. With the extra health spending set to end next year, what further cuts will be made? How much more will patients have to suffer?"