John Penrose

Conservative Party | Weston-super-Mare

MP urges health minister to allocate surplus cash to local health trusts

Local MP John Penrose has today urged the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson MP, to allocate some of the £1.8 billion financial surplus predicted last week for the NHS be put in to North Somerset Primary Care Trust and Weston Area Health Trust.

The move from the Weston-super-Mare MP comes after an ongoing campaign to raise North Somerset PCT’s funding to match the Government’s capitation funding guidelines, as well as to pay off the historic accumulated debts which both trusts face.

Mr Penrose said:

“I was delighted to hear last week's estimate from the Health Service Journal that the NHS is heading for a record £1.8 billion surplus this year.

“Both North Somerset PCT and Weston Hospital are facing serious financial difficulties with predicted deficits of £12 million and £5.4 million respectively. As one of the very few places with a ‘double deficit’ in both the local Hospital and Primary Care Trusts, news of any financial surplus is extremely welcome.

“I’ve written to the Minister to urge him to take the situation in Weston seriously. We need to make sure that health services aren’t damaged by the problems of the past.

“He also needs to follow-up on the Government’s own targets and provide the area with the funding that it is entitled to. At the moment our local health service is getting £9 million less cash than the Government’s own figures say it should.

 “Adequate funding won’t just be good for patients, but would be an important and highly-appreciated vote of confidence in the hard-pressed staff at both Trusts who have been working tremendously hard in extremely difficult circumstances. I look forward to their hard work being rewarded.”