Government lies to hide health cuts

Up to 1,750 NHS workers in the North East of England will lose their jobs in the next few years, according to a report.

The Northern Royal College of Nursing (RCN) got detailed information from every health trust in the region and compiled it into a shocking dossier.

It reveals that health budgets in the North East will be cut by a total of £800 million—with the loss of 403 hospital bed spaces.

Broken down by area this will mean the following:

• North Tees and Hartlepool plans to slash 359 workers
• County Durham and Darlington is cutting 300 nursing jobs and 300 beds

• Northumberland Tyne and Wear will lose 300 jobs
• Cumbria will shed 200 jobs

• South Tyne and Wear is cutting 85 jobs
• Tees is taking the axe to up to 50 workers

• Gateshead to close 103 beds

The government keeps saying that the NHS budget is “ringfenced”.

It is terrified that being open about attacks on basic services will spur resistance.

But the daily swinging of the axe shows that is simply a lie—and this is just the start of the government’s £20 billion “efficiency savings” in the NHS.

As RCN regional director Glenn Turp says, these are “plain old fashioned cuts”.