Harrogate: Foundation hospital planning cuts

Harrogate Hospital has revealed plans for major cost cuts this year, reports the BBC.

The hospital trust, which has forecast a deficit of between £4.2m and £9.2m, said it wanted to cut beds and surgery, but had no immediate plans to axe jobs. A disabled rehabilitation unit would also close under the plans.

Finance Director Jonathan Coulter said it had been hit by local primary care trust (PCT) plans to cut the amount of work given to the hospital by £7m.

A cost-cutting programme is being prepared that will generate savings of £4.5m.

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Phil Willis (Lib Dem) raised the issue in the House of Commons and said: "Why should my constituents suffer for failures elsewhere in the system and above all for government meddling."

In fact his constituents are suffering because of the sheer scale of public money draining away to the audit-failing and serially wasteful European Union – a process which Mr Willis fully supports.

Indeed, Mr Willis has yet to indicate that he will oppose Mr Blair’s further generous gift to the EU of an extra £2.5bn a year of public money.

Unless Mr Willis acts to prevent such obvious waste and unjustified spending, by voting against the new EU budget deal when it comes before Parliament, he cannot be surprised that there is little money left for his local hospital. And his constituents will know who to blame for that situation.