Cllr. Andrew Cann's NHS Report

11.11.11am GMT Tue 8th Nov 2005

Cllr. Andrew Cann ' If the Government doesn't change the funding formula we will continue to have cuts'.

The Government decided after the General Election that the 3 "Primary Care Trusts" - PCTs - in Suffolk must pay back their debts. The Primary Care Trusts have put together plans to balance their books by April next year by making cuts such as by closing Community Hospitals and shutting beds at the remaining Hospitals such as Heath Road.

Staff and student nurses with no jobs to go to are really worried, both for their patients' care and their jobs.

So what's gone wrong in Suffolk?

"There has been mismanagement and waste, but I believe much of the blame lies in the funding formula which the Government refuses to review" notes Cllr Andrew Cann.

How the funding formula works:

Andrew explains "the Governments funding formula is very complex. It takes into account Socio-economic factors, age profiles and census information.

"The result is that the formula gives most funds to areas where people get sicker sooner. But sickness itself costs much the same irrespective of location. Areas with higher costs should get more but the formula isn't actually about the cost of healthcare. It ensures that well funded areas, such as the inner cities, get more of the new money whilst poorer funded areas such as Suffolk must continue on with less.

"In Suffolk we live longer, and get sick later on the whole. You could say we lose out because we take care of ourselves better.

"The result is that each person in Suffolk is allocated 9% less than the UK average."

PCTs are over £40m in debt.

"The PCTs are over £40m in debt and the figure is rising. I do not believe that the cuts being made will help this situation whilst the funding gap between what the Government says we need and what we actually need continues" comments Andrew.

"If there is not enough money now—why should there be in the future as our people continue to age? It is wrong that Suffolk receives 9% less per patient than the average—this funding shortfall has created the debt.

"Unless the Government steps in and stops demanding our debts be repaid, Suffolk's health service problems are going to get worse.

"I wish I could be more optimistic, but that's the truth as I see it."

Andrew Cann