Operations cancelled as NHS runs out of money

In this report on January 4th, The Times summarises the ongoing financial crisis in the NHS and its serious implications for patients.

It cites examples from across the country of how the NHS is having to deny patients basic surgery in order to balance their books before the end of the financial year.

Cutbacks include the cancellation of routine operations that would treat basic but painful problems such as wisdom teeth, bunions, knee complaints and bad backs.

Patients are also being warned to expect long delays before getting appointments - already up to 16 weeks in Yorkshire and 17 weeks in Norfolk.

The cause of these problems remains the deficits many NHS trusts are facing and their attempts to cut their expenditure in order to recover their debts before the end of the financial year in April.

The North York and Yorkshire Primary Care Trust is named as having a deficit of £24 million - which means patients in Yorkshire are being left in pain for months on end for an amount of money that equals less that two days worth of our contributions to the European Union budget.

Would many really notice the effect on their lives if the EU were denied a mere couple of days worth of our payments? Unlikely. Yet thousands of patients in pain would certainly be relieved if the NHS were given the money instead.

MPs need to show where their priorities really lie and vote against the EU budget deal authorising billions more pounds for the already lavishly-funded EU, so that the money can be spent far more effectively on essential public services instead.