Salford: Closing unit safest for babies

A hospital where maternity care is soon to be axed has become the first in the country to achieve the highest ratings for emergency and baby safety - reports the Manchester Evening News.

Staff at Hope Hospital in Salford have been given the coveted 'level three' safety ratings from the NHS Litigation Authority after a series of tough risk assessments.

They had to prove they have good safety policies in place, can deal with medical and maternity emergencies quickly and have improved care.

The unit is set to close by 2011 as part of a controversial shake-up of regional maternity care, but managers say staff decided to go for the gold standard to show local people the decision was not a reflection on the care they provide.

Politicians who fought to save the service commended staff for proving the unit was one of the best in Greater Manchester to have a baby - and say it makes the closure decision all the more disappointing.

Deborah Carter, the associate director of women's and child services, said: "I have to congratulate our staff, who have been working with uncertainty for years and - more recently - the knowledge their department will close.

"They made a huge effort to drive up standards to reach this very difficult target. They want people to understand the closure does not in any way reflect the level of care here."

Salford council leader John Merry, who led the campaign to save the unit, said: "I would like to congratulate staff for working hard to meet this very difficult target and demonstrating to local people they are receiving the very best care.

"This news makes the closure decision a bit more disappointing, but the skills the staff have built up will not be lost."

Almost 3,000 babies are born at Hope each year and its 12-bed special care baby unit and nine-bed neo-natal intensive care unit is one of the largest in the region.

Salford PCT is now considering funding a midwifery-led unit at Hope. Having level three status also means the trust is likely to save around £1m over the next three years - by paying lower premiums to cover itself against legal claims.

In the shake-up, maternity and children's inpatient care will be cut from 14 to eight sites at North Manchester, Stepping Hill, Tameside, Wythenshawe and Wigan, with super-centres providing intensive care for the sickest babies in Manchester, Oldham and Bolton.

Suffolk: Massive council cuts proposed

A multi-million-pound round of cuts in services, from buses and road maintenance to care for older people and transport for sixth-formers, are in store for Suffolk residents - reports the Eastern Daily Press.

Older people also face paying more for council-run care homes, while support for extra-curricular dance, drama and sport could also be axed.

The proposed cuts were unveiled yesterday by Suffolk County Council at the start of its budget process. The plans will be discussed at scrutiny meetings over the next month before the budget is set in February.

Under fire from opposition councillors yesterday, council leader Jeremy Pembroke stressed the proposals were subject to change, and the council did not yet know what grant it would get from the government.

However, the council is expecting to have to save £16m, though it says it is also spending £10m on extra services.

Fifty-seven jobs will be lost, on top of the nine to 31 already planned for next year.

Mr Pembroke said the most unpopular decision was likely to be £950,000 of cuts to bus subsidies, which would spell the end to 15 bus services providing 150,000 passenger trips.

Likely to be equally unpopular is a proposal for the end of free transport for 16 to 18-year-olds to sixth form or college from next September.

Old people with savings may also be charged more if they move into one of the 15 council-run care homes.

Currently, the cost is capped at the amount the council pays for private sector homes, even though the true cost of a council-run home is higher.

Those entering council-run homes who are deemed able to afford the fees face having to pay upwards of £200 a week extra, but those already in them will not be affected.

Other proposals include: Cutting the roads maintenance budget by 40pc (£1.6m), meaning unclassified roads will be left to develop potholes rather than get preventative work. Axing support services for school dance, drama, and extra-curricular sport unless schools pay for them, saving £80,000 a year for three years.

Lincoln: Talks on county's police funding

The police minister Tony McNulty has agreed to hold further talks about giving Lincolnshire Police more money, reports the BBC.

Police officials said the force was one of the lowest-funded nationally and expects to overspend by £7m next year.

Senior officers have warned average council tax bills could rise by up to £100 per year if it does not get an increase in funding.

It is hoped further discussions will be held within the next few weeks and involve all of the county's MPs.

South Holland & the Deepings MP John Hayes said: "The Police Authority have said that this could mean cutting 364 members of police staff.

"In an establishment of something like 1163 that would, in their words, be perilous. It could mean the closure of police stations, it could mean less officers on the beat. We already have a big problem in our rural area."

Watford: Doubt raised over super hospital

Health campaigners have asked where the money to rebuild Watford General is going to come from following another damning report into the state of local NHS services and the resignation of the man in the charge - reports the Watford Observer.

The new report comes just days after health chief David Law resigned as chief executive of West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mr Law, the man who was in charge of Watford General for three years, quit his £120,000-a-year post last Friday evening after a report, by the Healthcare Commission, slammed the state of local health services.

The trust has been dogged by poor hospital standards and huge debts and last week was given a double "weak" rating when it came to the quality of service it provided - putting it in the bottom 5% in the country.

This week, another official health report, this time by the Audit Commission, found the trust remains £11 million in debt - one of just ten trusts across the country more than £10 million in the red.

The annual review graded trusts on a range of financial measures, including value for money and financial management.

The trust was given a "one", the lowest possible grade, meaning its finances are "inadequate".

Health campaigner Jean Brett has questioned whether the trust can now attract investment to pay for the £300million redevelopment of Watford General.

She said: "With problems like those highlighted in the Audit Commission, do they really think anybody is going to put forward the money for that trust as part of a PFI development?

"This is one more nail in the coffin for the PFI."

Watford MP Claire Ward said: "I have indicated to the Strategic Health Authority that I will not support the appointment of any chief executive who does not give full support to Watford Health Campus. This project is essential to the future development of the NHS in my constituency."

However the hypocritical Ms Ward herself is not giving all the support she could to the potential development, given she intends to quietly approve a £7bn increase in funding to the audit-failing EU when the European Communities (Finance) Bill comes before Parliament for approval.

Ms Ward can hardly claim to be standing up for local public services if she plans to support the waste of vast sums of public money on an organisation that hasn't been able to explain how the "majority" of its budget has been spent for thirteen years running.

Waste in one area of public spending - especially of sums as large as £7bn - inevitably means consequences elsewhere. If Ms Ward supports the EC (Finance) Bill, only she will be to blame for insufficient health services in Watford.

Shropshire: Council faces services overspend

Shropshire County Council is facing serious financial pressure in funding adult social care, reports the BBC.

It is forecasting an overspend of £638,000 in its budget for looking after people with learning difficulties in the current financial year.

Director of resources, Laura Rowley, said a review was under way and some vacancies were not being filled to help reduce costs.

She said as carers got older they needed more help to cope.

Financial pressure is set to increase further to meet demands for improving care for autistic people and those suffering Asperger's Syndrome, she said.

Barry Brown, whose son Stephen has Asperger's, said the current situation was unacceptable.

"When we got the diagnosis he had got Asperger's Syndrome that was the good news, because previous to that we had nowhere to turn," said Mr Brown.

"Then they said there's no services for Asperger's either in Telford or Shropshire and that's still the situation."

NHS repairs 'backlog' hits £4bn

NHS trusts have a £4bn backlog of key maintenance repairs which range from fixing heating to meeting fire safety rules, reports the BBC.

Government figures suggest the backlog is eight times this year's much-heralded NHS surplus, which was achieved by making a variety of cuts.

"Backlog" repairs are those needed to bring NHS property in line with various standards.

They include repairing roofs and fixing drainage, but do not cover painting wards or replacing furniture.

It is large city hospital trusts which have the greatest backlog, according to Hospital Doctor, which first reported the details.

"The truth is that the NHS surplus, which the government enjoys boasting about, is a sham," shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said.

"Public health budgets, education and training budgets and now the basic maintenance and upkeep of our hospitals have been laundered to produce this surplus."

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said urgent maintenance work that will affect patient care "is always prioritised", but he added that making this decision was up to the local NHS trust concerned.

Suffolk: Student bus cut fears

Students in Suffolk could become the latest victims of budget cuts after it emerged that secret discussions to cut school transport subsidies for 16 to 18-year-olds are under way - reports the Eastern Daily Press.

About a quarter of the 10,345 students of that age group in education in the county are likely to be left forking out hundreds of pounds in travel every year if the policy gets the go-ahead.

Currently, 2,200 students across Suffolk pay about £300 a year for school transport, with the remaining £300 being met by Suffolk County Council, but as part of ongoing budget cuts the council is trying to reduce its £16m school transport budget.

Sources have revealed "substantial" further savings need to be made and council chiefs are holding confidential meetings to discuss the possibility of axing post-16 travel subsidies.

Axing subsidies could save in excess of £600,000, with teenagers and parents footing the bill.

The Labour group has slammed the "tax on A-levels".

Graham Manuel, Labour's roads and transport spokesman, said: "Every parent wants their children to have the opportunity to study hard and get on in life."

A council spokesman said: "In February we reviewed home-to-school transport as part of the budget process. A policy development panel was set up to look at all aspects of the transport service provided to pupils, particularly areas of expenditure due to budget restraints. The findings will be going to cabinet in April 2008."

Lincoln: MS therapy centre faces closure

A Lincolnshire centre for sufferers of multiple sclerosis could close due to a lack of funding, reports the BBC.

Managers at the Lincoln Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, which has been running for 20 years, say they have three months to find the money.

The facility offers physical therapy and emotional support.

Chairman Paul Wilkinson said the financial problems began when a lottery grant was stopped. He is urging the public to come forward with donations.

"We're raising money every week but it's as serious as that within three months there's a strong possibility we could lock our doors," Mr Wilkinson said.

Users of the centre say it is a lifeline to them. Joanne Elam said: "It has given me a boost just speaking to people here.

"I ended up in this centre first of all in a wheelchair and the physiotherapist couldn't believe how bad I was.

"With having treatment, I've been able to get out of the wheelchair and walking on my own two feet, so it's done a lot for me."

Worcestershire: Council chiefs’ funding fears

Worcestershire County Council chiefs have echoed the warnings of the Local Government Association (LGA) in the wake of what has been called the worst financial settlement for 10 years - reports the Redditch Advertiser.

The Government's Comprehensive Spending Review was recently announced, which details public sector funding and in particular how much money local councils will receive for running day-to-day services.

The LGA has warned the settlement would mean above-inflation increases in council tax and potential funding black holes for services for older people.

The county council has already been working to shave £25 million off its revenue budget before 2010. And with the county having an above average older population, the effects could be felt even more acutely.

Councillor George Lord, county council leader, said: "This latest announcement is not good news for counties like Worcestershire. We're already amongst the poorest funded in the country and as the amount that the Government generally provides for local authorities continues to fall, we'll be hardest hit once again."

Councillor Adrian Hardman, cabinet member for finance, added: "We've been able to be amongst the top performing councils in the country in terms of efficiency and value for money in recent years and this has been the main reason why we've been able to balance the budget.

"It does get increasingly difficult however and we face some tough decisions for next year and beyond because there's simply insufficient money available to continue to provide services at their current and improved levels and to meet all the additional demands being placed upon us."

Full details of the implications of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review are due to be unveiled in early December when the precise impact on the budget for the county can be calculated.

What has Redditch MP Jacqui Smith have to say about this, while she intends to vote £7bn of evidently scarce government money away to the audit-failing EU?

The £25 million the council needs to maintain services is not even two days worth of the money Ms Smith plans to gift the EU.

Approving the waste of such vast sums on an organisation with a terrible record for waste, corruption and mismanagement will mean she must take personal responsibility when funding shortfalls such as these inevitably occur.

Basildon: Basildon Council cash crisis

Basildon Council is facing a serious cash crisis next year which could lead to service cuts - reports the Basildon Recorder. Council tax may also rise by five per cent

The financial difficulties have come about because the council must find up to £500,000 to subsidise pensioners' free bus travel next year.

Basildon Council is the only authority in Essex yet to pay £100,000 from last year.

Terri Sargent, cabinet councillor responsible for community services, said consultants were trying to work out ways to meet rising costs as more elderly people take up passes.

Mrs Sargent said: "Our bill for last year is late. We expect it to be even higher this year.

"We have no idea what it will be when the scheme goes national, but uptake is always increasing.

"A report will go to cabinet next month." Council leader Malcolm Buckley said: "A review of services has identified a number of savings, but this does not take into account bus pass cost increases.

"The problem is we have to set our budget before knowing the actual cost of passes when they go nationwide."

Meanwhile, Phil Turner, the council's cabinet member for resources, warned there would be little scope for investment. He said: "Basildon's grant from the Government is already the lowest possible and well below the national average.

"The amount we are likely to get will not cover all the costs of inflation, new legislation and the extra responsibilities."

Mr Turner added: "The burden of making up the balance will fall upon the council tax payer."

'Good schools' to hand back £85m savings

Good schools could be forced to hand back thousands of pounds every year under a new Government "tax" on prudent head teachers, the Daily Telegraph reports today.

For the sake of grabbing back an amount of money equivalent to less than a week of what the government plans to hand to the audit-failing EU under the new EU budget deal, head teachers at some of the best-performing state schools in the country may be forced to axe staff or raid library budgets to finance improvements to facilities rather than tapping into their savings.

The little-noticed move could affect as many as 20,000 primary, secondary and special schools and would require any school with extra money at the end of the year to hand a share back to local authorities.

Schools are set to lose 5% of outstanding balances, even if it has been set aside to fund new buildings, playground improvements, sports facilities or drama studios.

Mick Brookes, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said "Schools are going to have to find that five per cent additional money from somewhere else.

''This includes the money schools use to buy books for the children, teaching materials and sports equipment.

"If schools have to give back £25,000 or more, it could mean losing a teacher."

Pauline Cox, the head teacher at Tiffin Girls' Grammar School, Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, which came top in the country in one GCSE league table this summer, said: "We have a 1950s school which is falling to pieces and needs repairs, which cost money.

''We already have to scrimp and save to do this, and now whatever we manage to pull together for the next year will be taxed. I feel robbed. The fury among teachers is remarkable."

In a Parliamentary answer to the Liberal Democrats, the Government admitted that £988 million of last year's surplus – almost 63% of the total – had been "committed for specific purposes", which may include buildings.

David Laws, the Liberal Democrat children's spokesman, said: "This Government plan is a tax on good schools. It is taking from the prudent head teachers that are about to fund major capital projects and giving to less prudent ones and those who have already spent their money."

Andrew Baker, the head of Westcliff High School for Boys, Essex, said: "I have never heard a proposal that is so devious and unprincipled as this.

''It will encourage schools to make irresponsible expenditure to avoid the taxman."

Terry Molloy, the head of Claremont High School, Brent, north London, said: "This money is meant for my children, to make their education better. Why should they be punished like this?"

Under the new EU budget deal, Britain is set to pay the audit-failing EU £6bn (net) a year - that's £115m every week until 2013.

This deal is expected to come before MPs for approval sometime in the next session of Parliament, starting next month.

Can MPs really justify voting billions of pounds extra a year to such a wasteful organisation as the EU, while the government has to resort to clawing back fractions of that amount from prudent schools seeking to improve their facilities?

Has the EU now usurped 'Education, Education, Education'? MPs will confirm their real priorities with their votes on the European Communities (Finance) Bill.

'Cash crisis' for science centres

Science education centres around the UK face serious financial threats and some have already closed, reports the BBC.

MPs on the House of Commons science and technology select committee want the government to give centres at risk short-term funding.

Two of the centres which were funded by the Millennium Commission - Doncaster's Earth Centre and Ayrshire's Big Idea - have already closed, its report says.

The loss of such centres is a threat to science education, it says. Ministers say they will respond "in due course".

The report, the Funding of Science and Discovery Centres, says that these centres make a valuable contribution to the public's engagement with science - but there are serious financial problems.

After initial funding, these centres are unable to pay for themselves - and the report says that without a change in their financial support, they will be closed before their value has been properly assessed.

The Eden Project is an example of a successful science centre, say MPs.

The Earth Centre and Big Idea have both closed and another, At-Bristol, has had to close two of its three attractions and has made 45 staff redundant.

The report says the government should not be obliged to fund loss-making centres on a regular basis, but as a short-term measure it should make cash available.

It also recommends that "steps are taken to reduce the tax burden on science and other educational centres".

The report says that the science centre concept has been around for about 20 years - representing a place for people to explore science often in an interactive setting.

The biggest injection of funding came in the form of £450m for 18 centres from the Millennium Commission.

But the report says that in terms of earning revenue, science centres - apart from examples such as the Eden Project in Cornwall - have struggled to raise more than 80% of their running costs.

This leaves them with a recurrent funding problem, says the MPs' report, which proposes they should be given a reduced rate of VAT - and it urges the government to consider supporting science centres in the way it subsidises museums.

A Department for Innovation, Universities and Science spokesman said that the government is "keen to encourage young people and the broader community to get involved with science".

He said they would respond to the report more fully "in due course".

Norfolk: Warning over care for future elderly

Thousands of East Anglian pensioners will not get the care they expect in old age, facing the grim prospect of footing hefty bills to pay for vital services, officials have warned - according to the Eastern Daily Press.

A report commissioned by the Local Government Association reveals a “startling gulf” between people's expected level of service from their council and the reality they will face in old age.

The survey shows that nine out of 10 adults want subsidised care from their council in old age - at a time when government funding to meet the needs of a growing elderly population is expected to dwindle from 2009.

Last night Age Concern and Norfolk County Council called for an immediate debate to raise people's awareness about the impact of government funding cuts on services.

“This is a very serious problem which is going to get worse and not many people are aware of it,” said Linda Gill, information and advice manger at Age Concern Norfolk.

“There has to be an urgent debate to raise awareness not just with elderly people, but also with men and women who are in their 40s or 50s now and who are not thinking about provisions for old age. They have to know what lies ahead of them,” she added.

There are 174,000 over 65s living in Norfolk of which 25,400 receive subsidised care. The number of elderly people is projected to increase to 187,750 by 2010, and the county council expects the number receiving subsidised care to increase proportionally.

However, despite the ageing population, government funding for essential services such as shopping, cleaning, bathing will drop to 3.45% by 2009 and to 3.4% by 2010/11.

“This is a real issue for Norfolk,” said Chris Mowle, county cabinet member for adult social services.

“We have an ever-growing older population as people live longer and in order for them to live well they will need more services. The government has just announced how much money councils will get next year and from Norfolk's point of view this was a bad settlement.”

He said the authority was at the bottom of the league table of all county councils when it comes to the allocation of overall grants.

A survey last year showed that the county was underfunded by £21m.

The LGA-commissioned MORI poll interviewed 956 adults across England and Wales, following the release of the Comprehensive Spending Review at the beginning of October.

Only five per cent of respondents across the country said they would expect to pay for all their basic care even though, closer inspection of the figures published in this year's Spending Review social care budget increases have failed to keep pace with demographic changes.

Last night Sir Simon Milton, chairman of the LGA said: “There is a startling gulf between the type of care they expect when they reach old age and the reality of what they will receive. A poor funding settlement, an ageing population and a lack of progress on any long term solution to the financial pressures on social services that local government will face a situation, by as early as 2009, where it cannot afford to provide service thousands of vulnerable old people.”

Ealing: Six-year waiting list for NHS wheelchairs

EALING Primary Care Trust's mammoth six-year waiting list for NHS electric wheelchairs was this week described as "obscene" - reports icEaling.

The waiting list, which has been calculated at 316 weeks, has got so out of hand that for a time it had to be closed to anyone wanting to get on it, (though it has now reopened).

It puts Ealing bottom out of 99 Primary Care Trust's (PCTs) in terms of waiting time for NHS electric wheelchairs.

Wiltshire's waiting list is 260 weeks, East Midlands' is 224 and Hillingdon's is closed on 156 weeks.

The revelations have prompted urgent calls from politicians for action from Ealing PCT, which funds the rental service.

Leicester: Protest at hospital plan collapse

Dozens of patients from Leicestershire and Rutland have been turned away from an NHS Trust board meeting where they planned to demand answers about the future of local healthcare - reports the BBC.

Their main concern is the collapse of a £700m plan to revamp Leicester's three city hospitals, which has been abandoned amid claims that the plan was becoming too expensive.

Zuffar Haq, chairman of the Leicester Patients' Group, said the government's vow to consult the public about healthcare was simply not happening.

Earlier in the year the trust also said it was looking to cut hundreds of posts to make budget savings.

Wimbledon: £36m council cuts spark job loss fears

More than 50 jobs are set to be axed and services cut back as a council struggles to balance its books - reports the South London Press.

Bean counters at Merton civic centre have worked out that the authority needs to save
£14.4million in the next financial year (2008/09), £13.4million in 2009/10, plus £8.9million in 2010/11.

The authority, like many other councils, will not be receiving enough money from the Government to run all of the services it currently provides and will be hit hard by increases in expenses including landfill tax charges.

A report setting out a list of money-saving proposals, including more than 50 job cuts, was being presented to Monday's cabinet meeting. The budget will be finalised in March.

Council leader David Williams, pictured inset, said: "We will be discussing the staffing proposals with the unions.

"If we don't get the money from the Government that we need, we have three options: to raise council tax, increase fees and charges and cut services.

"There is a four-year pledge that we will keep council tax at the same level in real terms using the retail price index - we will know the exact amount in December."

A full report about the future of day services for elderly and disabled people, including the
All Saints Centre in Wimbledon, is also due to be presented to the cabinet at a meeting in December.

The cost-cutting measures will begin at the end of a three-year programme to save £10million that began in 2005/6.

Watford: Hospital trust rated 'weak'

The NHS trust in charge of Watford General Hospital has been rated as weak in its quality of service and financial management - reports the Watford Observer.

The Healthcare Commission's annual health check found West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which looks after Watford General, St Albans City Hospital and Hemel Hempstead General Hospital, failed to provide the necessary service to patients and continues to be weak at managing its finances in 2006/07.

This assessment follows the 2005/06 report that also found the Trust to be weak in both service and financial management.

West Sussex: Campaigners march over NHS cuts

About 14,000 people have taken part in a demonstration over NHS plans to reorganise West Sussex hospitals, reports the BBC.

Campaigners say the turn-out in Haywards Heath made it the largest NHS protest in the county to date.

Under NHS restructuring, only one of three West Sussex hospitals will remain a major general hospital, the county's primary care trust (PCT) has said.

Singer Vera Lynn was among those who took part in the protest.

She told the assembled crowd: "We need our hospital. We must have it, and it is essential we fight for it."

West Sussex has hospitals in Worthing, Haywards Heath, and Chichester.

The protest on Saturday was to show opposition to downgrading Accident & Emergency and maternity services at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

Campaigners said 70,000 people had now signed their petition, thousands had attended public meetings, and 180 GPs had spoken out against the plans.

But the PCT said centralising services would make more expertise available.

Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames said the continuing fight by residents was "inspiring" and the rally was "another major opportunity for people to show their total opposition" ahead of the conclusion of the public consultation in mid-November.

The rally comes a week after several hundred people took to the streets of Uckfield to show support for the Princess Royal Hospital, in Haywards Heath, and Uckfield Community Hospital.

After the protest in Uckfield, PCT chief executive John Wilderspin said: "We will be keeping many services in our local hospitals and increasing the amount of care we provide in GP surgeries and patients' own homes.

"We are proposing to develop a major general hospital for West Sussex, providing specialist services such as a main A&E department, the consultant led maternity unit and emergency surgery."

Small rise ‘will mean higher council tax or cuts in service’

Householders face big increases in council tax or cuts in services after what council chiefs said was the worst settlement in a decade - reports The Times.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said that the 1% a year funding increase for the next three years would inevitably lead to council tax rises above this year’s 4.2%.

The association warned that efforts to hold down council tax rises would be at the expense of cuts in social services and elderly care.

“This is the worst settlement for local government in a decade,” said Sir Simon Milton, the LGA's chairman.

“Councils will continue to work hard for the people they serve but they face tough choices. The Chancellor’s announcement will mean above-inflation rises in bills for council taxpayers and businesses, and there remains a black hole in funding for the care of the elderly.”

The association claims that there will be 400,000 more older people over the next three years, many of whom will require social services at home or in residential care.

Yet councils have already had to restrict the eligibility criteria for social care at home.

Leicestershire: Police cash fight prompts warning

Leicestershire's Police Federation is warning job cuts could leave officers working on the streets struggling, according to the BBC.

Chief Constable Matt Baggott claimed 140 police jobs are at risk over the next two years because of underfunding.

The federation said fewer officers would spread the resources dangerously thin, with consequences for both the police and the public.

It comes ahead of Home Office funding decisions and after the force was rated one of the best in England and Wales.

Mr Baggott said he had told the Home Office there were 60 police posts vacant to help balance the books and he was underlining the challenges of policing a rapidly expanding city.

Dave Grenz, from the Police Federation, felt there were problems building up for the future.

"Morale is not good at the moment in the force," he said. "People are worried about what is going to happen.

"People should be under no illusion, if the funding situation is not sorted out then the performance of the police - no matter how good a job the chief constable and the others do - they will not be able to maintain the performance of the police."

Mr Grenz pointed out that recruitment had already been suspended for the rest of the financial year.

He said an 11% rise in police precept in the council tax would maintain numbers but any increase is capped at 5%.

Oldham: Council tax fears spark cutbacks

A local authority has drawn up plans to cut dozens of jobs and slash services to avoid a council tax hike of more than 20% - reports the Manchester Evening News.

Council chiefs in Oldham have revealed they would face a staggering black hole of £13.6m in their accounts for 2008/9 - even if they repeated last year's tax rise of 4.9%.

To close the gap they would need to increase council tax by around 21%.

Instead they have drafted a report listing cost-cutting measures that would total £17.15m. They include the loss of 32 jobs and the closure of five lifelong learning centres.

Other proposed savings include reducing agency costs, more efficient purchases of goods and services, and a review of the council's property holdings.

These options will now go out to consultation before final decisions are taken in February.

Finance chiefs have highlighted inflation and a loss of external funding as major reasons behind the shortfall.

They added that the decision to invest in the Building Schools for the Future programme, where a £1m investment was required to secure more than £200m of external funding, provided further pressure.

David Jones, the Labour group and council leader, said: "Our finance team forecast the pressures we would face next year at a very early stage, giving us plenty of time to develop sensible solutions.

"Oldham is way ahead of many other local authorities in developing options early."

But Coun Howard Sykes, Lib Dem opposition leader, criticised the council and said the report was `unclear'.

He said: "It is very difficult to believe that they can carve this much out of the budget without it affecting services. I think they are being forced to look under the rug. I don't know exactly what they mean in the report but we will be tracking it closely and find out.

"Mike Williamson, of the GMB Union, agreed. He accused the council of using `gobbledygook' and said there would be `an obvious impact on services and jobs'.

Bolton: Town budget may face £5.2m cuts

Bolton town hall chiefs could be forced to slash £5.2 million from their budget next year to achieve their target council tax increase of around 3.8% - reports The Bolton News.

The figures were revealed as the Government announced councils would get an effective one per cent increase in funding, allowing them to keep council tax increases within five per cent.

The council's early budget estimates for 2008/09 have raised fears of further job losses and service cuts. It made £10.8 million worth of cuts this year.

That resulted in 202 job cuts, achieved through redeployment, early retirement and not filling vacancies.

Departmental bosses have now been given initial targets for savings next year.

The adult services, culture and community budget, slashed by £4.6 million this year, must cut another £1.3 million.

Children's services must save £790,000, although schools funding is protected.

Other savings include £793,000 from central departments, including corporate resources and legal services, £556,000 from the environment budget, and £162,000 from development and regeneration.

A 3.8% increase in council tax would mean the Bolton Council levy for an average band D home rising £48 to £1,301 per year.

Added to that are police and fire authority precepts, which this year amounted to an extra £164, while in Horwich, Blackrod and Westhoughton there is also a small precept to fund town councils.

Florence Hill, of Bolton's 5,800-member UNISON branch, said: "We are concerned for services and jobs.

"I do not know how the council can keep providing good-quality public services while cutting its budget year on year."

Steve Arnfield, the council's director of corporate resources, emphasised the initial budget estimates could change.

He said: "It's too early to talk about job cuts because we will not know until the end of November what savings options the different departments will come up with."

Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris added: "We are constantly looking at how we can make our services more cost-effective and make improvements for service users and council tax payers."

The forecasts that had been presented to the council's executive were based on an estimated 1.5% increase in the Government grant and business rates to a combined £110 million.

However, Mr Darling's announcement yesterday means the council will get around £500,000 less.

London: Hospital cuts 'step too far' say MPs

Doctors and nurses have recommended emergency and critical care should be axed from TWO hospitals - reports the South London Press.

The aim is to cut costs and improve services for the one million residents of South-east London.

The surprise outcome was the result of months of discussions by 100 clinicians from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, Lewisham Hospital, Queen Mary's Sidcup (QMS) and Bromley Hospitals.

It was expected they would suggest that one accident and emergency department should close.

Shocked MPs have described the proposal to reduce the number of acute hospitals to two in the area as too drastic and a "step too far".

The medics were asked by the primary care trusts to consider ways specialist services could be concentrated at fewer sites.

As outlined in their document, A Picture of Health, the PCTs also want to provide many hospital treatments closer to people's homes.

No decisions on which hospitals will be downgraded will be made until the outcome of a review into how extra services in the community could be provided and a public consultation is held.

John Austin, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, said: "Reducing major acute trauma centres in South-east London from four to two is a change too far."

Eltham MP Clive Efford said: "I would not support any relocation of services until there are sufficient alternative services in place that are seen to be meeting people's needs."

Cleethorpes: Fifteen post offices face axe

Government plans to shut 15 post offices in the Grimsby area have been leaked prior to today's official announcement - reports the Grimsby Telegraph.

The secret list of proposed closures contains two branches in central Grimsby, as well as more in Louth and other rural areas.

The move is part of a national plan which will see about 2,500 post offices across the UK close by 2009 due to cutbacks in subsidies for loss-making offices from central government.

In all, 12 in the Grimsby area may shut completely and three would operate with drastically reduced hours.

Those proposed for closure are: Lambert Road, Grimsby; Humberstone Road, Grimsby ; Haborough; Newmarket, Louth; Brackenborough Road, Louth; Chapel Lane, Ashby-cum-Fenby; Brocklesby; Grimoldby; Fleetgate, Barton; Golf Road, Mablethorpe; West Rasen; South Somercotes.

Branches in Maltby-le-Marsh, North Kelsey and Tealby would continue to operate through an outreach service for 8 hours, 13 hours and 2 hours a week respectively.

The proposals will go out to public consultation over the next six weeks.

For people like 81-year-old Margaret Franklin, whose local branch in Newmarket is one of 15 the Government plans to shut down, the announcement is bad news.

She said: "I use this branch to check my pension, pay bills and post letters. It provides a vital service.

"There are usually great long queues here. A lot of people use it.

"I shall be very, very annoyed. It's a long walk to another post office."

Reacting to the news, Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell urged affected residents to make their views known in the consultation.

He said: "This process of closing our post offices needs to be resisted because post offices are a very important local service.

"Residents in Grimsby should get involved in the consultation process.

"It is essential that their views are heard, as I believe this is an undesirable tactic."

Martin Vickers, the Conservative Party's parliamentary candidate for Cleethorpes, said: "It's a dramatic reduction on what is a vital public service for market towns and rural communities brought about, to a great extent, by the Government policy of removing services, such as the ability to buy a TV licence from local post offices.

"I think the Government has already made its mind up, but having said that we must fight this every step of the way."

Cleethorpes MP Shona McIsaac needs to explain why she thinks it's more important to reward the wasteful and audit-failing European Union with a massive extra £7 billion by approving the EU budget deal, while post offices in her constituency are closing due to the inability of central government to afford sufficient subsidies.

Such blatant irresponsibility with scarce public funds is not something that local voters are likely to take very kindly to, come the next election.

At-risk Post Office outlets named

The Post Office has announced the first 180 branches earmarked for closure under government plans to shut 2,500 by the end of next year - reports the BBC.

The first closures are planned for post offices in Kent, East Yorks and the East Midlands and a six week consultation period has begun.

The government says cuts are needed as the current 14,000-strong network has been losing £4m a week.

However, the cuts are actually needed because the government is unwilling or unable to maintain subsidies to loss-making offices, on the basis of their service to the community - often its most vulernable members.

However they do appear willing and able to increase payments to the audit-failing EU's budget by 63% - many billions more a year than subsidising loss-making post offices would cost.

Consumer watchdog Postwatch said that the closures were bad news, but it accepted the government spin that the current network was "unsustainable" (without further subsidy).

The government decided in December that 2,500 closures were required and said at the time that it wanted to help the Post Office modernise, restore profitability in its main offices, invest in new products and look at innovative ways to deliver services.

On Tuesday, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said it would provide funding of "up to £1.7bn until 2011 to continue to support the network" and to enable the Post Office "to modernise and rationalise".

However the government has recently agreed to gift the EU far more - an extra £2.5bn every single year, despite 12 years of the EU failing its audit. Is this a demonstration of the right priorities?

MPs who vote to approve the obvious waste of the EU budget deal when it comes before Parliament in the next session will be to blame for these consequent shortfalls in funding for essential public services.