Stephen Metcalfe MP: speaks out against Labour on the NHS
Stephen Metcalfe, Local Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock has today accused Labour of wilfully ‘scaremongering’ and ‘misleading’ the public on the NHS. Last Friday, during a debate Stephen attended, Labour claimed success in combatting supposed NHS ‘privatisation’ by voting through a Private Member’s Bill in the Commons. This is despite the fact that Government measures are designed to simply remove layers of bureaucracy, reform existing practices and will help the NHS to save £5.5 billion in this Parliament alone.
Stephen Metcalfe commented: “I am absolutely committed to the founding principles of the NHS - that care is free at the point of use based on need, not on the ability to pay. The Health and Social Care Act does not change this. It will not privatise the NHS. This Labour Bill therefore is seeking to prevent something that is simply not happening.”
“In truth, only 6 pence in every pound spent by the NHS is spent with private sector providers. And the hypocrisy is, under Labour, private sector provision grew at TWICE the rate than under this Government.”
Labour’s Andy Burnham remains the only Secretary of State in history to have privatised services run by an ENTIRE hospital. And Labour entered the last election with a manifesto commitment promising to increase private provision of healthcare.
Stephen Metcalfe continued: “This whole episode has shown that Labour are being politically selective over the bandwagons they choose to jump on.”
“The Conservatives understand that to support our incredible NHS, we need a growing and thriving economy. The economic disaster that Labour left us with was the biggest threat our NHS has ever seen. By implementing vital reforms and jumpstarting Britain’s economic recovery, the Conservatives have actually safeguarded the future of the NHS. The efficiency savings which have been made have been ploughed back in to the NHS to employ 8,000 more doctors and 5,600 more nurses than in 2010.”
“My constituents are not that easily fooled and will not be hoodwinked by Labour posturing on this important issue. The NHS is something we should all take pride in and it’s time for Labour to stop playing politics with it."
