THE LIBERAL Democrat candidate for West Worcestershire has branded the nearly £1million handed to Worcestershire Royal to try and ease A&E pressures this winter a ‘sticking plaster’.
Edward McMillan-Scott launched the stinging attack at a ‘get to know the candidate’ meeting in Malvern on Tuesday (May 9) where he said the extra funding highlighted the budget crisis facing the NHS as a result of Brexit.
Just before the General Election was called, the Government announced Worcestershire Royal will be receiving £920,000 from a pot of cash totalling £120million, in order to prevent the severe delays and heavy demand the hospital experienced last year.
The pro-EU candidate and former MEP also said the £350million a week leave voters in last year’s referendum promised for the NHS was now a ‘vanished dream’ as ‘Brexit reality bites’ the UK’s economy.
“The NHS and social care are in a state of manifest crisis while the county’s Tory MPs have been wringing their hands and blindly following the Prime Minister towards a Hard Brexit,” Mr McMillan-Scott said.
“Theresa May has turned this into a Brexit General Election, but only offers Worcester’s overstretched A&E a £920,000 sticking plaster for next winter as part of a £100m national winter package.
“Members of her Government, such as Boris Johnson, promised an extra £350million a week for the NHS if people voted for Brexit. That is a vanished dream as Brexit reality bites into the British economy.
“Liberal Democrats want to anticipate a Brexit blow by ring-fencing health and care spending now by a penny on everyone’s income tax for the NHS worth £6 billion a year.
“We also demand an ‘outcome referendum’ on the Brexit deal.”
In response, Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire, said: “The Liberal Democrats are prepared to jump into a coalition of chaos with Jeremy Corbyn and the SNP and start raising taxes and crashing the economy.
“Under seven years of Conservatives we have seen a new £17million community hospital opening in Malvern, a £22.5million oncology unit and a fabulous award-winning birth centre – all opened since 2010.
“We clearly need a strong and stable Government to get the best deal on Brexit for our economy and to continue to invest in our NHS,” she added.
