Our paramedic heroes deserve more support

Posted on: 27th March 2015
Andrew George MP Visits SWASFT resizedAndrew George meets from left to right SWASFT Operations Office Geoff Griffin, SWASFT Paramedic John Veall,  SWASFT Operation Manager West Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Steve Small.

 

West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, this week savaged ‘the political class generally’ for undermining the morale of NHS staff – doctors, nurses, paramedics – who were as much the victims of the NHS crisis as the patients.

Mr George said, “The fact is we had the best health service in the world, and the other parties couldn’t resist meddling with it for reasons of political dogma, ending with the catastrophic Lansley so-called reforms

“While the two old parties allow ill-informed people to attack the performance of NHS workers, they refuse to share with the public the real cost of maintaining the NHS or ask for the tax income to do it.”

Speaking at the Truro ambulance station where he was viewing the latest South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust state-of-the art ambulance, Mr George said that despite the occasional let-down, the NHS was coping magnificently in extremely difficult circumstances.

“SWASFT is facing a 10 per cent increase in calls at a time of an acute shortage of paramedics and the challenges of losing transport work to private companies, with ambulances having to wait outside A and E Departments.

“Our paramedics do a fantastic job.  The ambulance has become a casualty service on wheels.  They save lives.  But the problem is obvious: the need for more spending on the NHS and not making them a political football in the run-up to the General Election. Only my fellow politicians can produce these resources.  My party has committed to meet the £8bn for our NHS shortfall.”

Mr George said that instead of ‘meddling’, the next Government should reinstate the public ethos of the NHS and put as much power as possible in the hands of  NHS workers themselves, doctors, and local administrators, and guarantee them a year-on-year increase in resources equal to the year-on-year pressures.

“If you allow an increase in resources of just over 2 per cent a year for the ambulance service, while pressure on services increase by 10 per cent, the end result is obvious.”

Mr George recently called and chaired a meeting of over 200 people in Penzance to discuss current pressures of the NHS.

 

 

 

 

 

West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, this week savaged ‘the political class generally’ for undermining the morale of NHS staff – doctors, nurses, paramedics – who were as much the victims of the NHS crisis as the patients.

Mr George said, “The fact is we had the best health service in the world, and the other parties couldn’t resist meddling with it for reasons of political dogma, ending with the catastrophic Lansley so-called reforms

“While the two old parties allow ill-informed people to attack the performance of NHS workers, they refuse to share with the public the real cost of maintaining the NHS or ask for the tax income to do it.”

Speaking at the Truro ambulance station where he was viewing the latest South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust state-of-the art ambulance, Mr George said that despite the occasional let-down, the NHS was coping magnificently in extremely difficult circumstances.

“SWASFT is facing a 10 per cent increase in calls at a time of an acute shortage of paramedics and the challenges of losing transport work to private companies, with ambulances having to wait outside A and E Departments.

“Our paramedics do a fantastic job.  The ambulance has become a casualty service on wheels.  They save lives.  But the problem is obvious: the need for more spending on the NHS and not making them a political football in the run-up to the General Election. Only my fellow politicians can produce these resources.  My party has committed to meet the £8bn for our NHS shortfall.”

Mr George said that instead of ‘meddling’, the next Government should reinstate the public ethos of the NHS and put as much power as possible in the hands of NHS workers themselves, doctors, and local administrators, and guarantee them a year-on-year increase in resources equal to the year-on-year pressures.

“If you allow an increase in resources of just over 2 per cent a year for the ambulance service, while pressure on services increase by 10 per cent, the end result is obvious.”

Mr George recently called and chaired a meeting of over 200 people in Penzance to discuss current pressures of the NHS.