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Burnham For Mayor

Wednesday 2 May 2012

'Inappropriate' pressure to cut hospital referrals

In response to a study showing six in 10 GPs felt 'inappropriate' pressure to cut hospital referrals, the Government promised to put doctors in the driving seat. But we now know those were just hollow words, like so many of Mr Cameron's statements on the NHS.

This crude cost-cutting measure will mean patients facing long delays for treatment, regardless of their need, and arbitrary decisions made by managers not doctors.

Mr Cameron ignored GPs' warnings about the dangers of his re-organisation and is now placing them under inappropriate pressure to accept second-best for their patients. He has lost the trust of the medical profession and no wonder.

Cameron's re-organisation has diverted billions away from patient care and into bureaucracy and back-office restructuring. This Thursday, I hope many people will use the ballot box to tell the PM what they think of what he's doing to the NHS by voting Labour.