Guarding the NHSMalcolm Aitken has spoken up for our local health service: It has been interesting over the last few months witnessing Broxbourne Conservative Party attempt to portray themselves as the guardian of the National Health Service for local residents. Everyone will remember how under the 18 years of Conservative misrule our health service was driven into the ground. There were not enough staff, and the staff there were got poorly paid. Patients had to wait for years for routine operations and if you were unfortunate enough to have to visit a casualty department, you were likely to have to wait for in excess of eight hours. Improvements have only come about because of increased funding and tough national targets - targets that the Conservatives say they would abandon. So much has changed within the NHS over the last ten years since Labour came to power. There are more doctors and nurses than there have ever been within the service. Operation waiting times of longer than six months have been virtually eradicated and no one waits longer than four hours in accident and emergency. I acknowledge that the present review of the service given by Chase Farm has led to many people becoming concerned. I and my Labour colleagues are working hard to ensure that local residents get the best deal possible for residents of the borough. What I cannot accept is the rank hypocrisy of the local Conservatives, who despite proclaiming to be campaigning against any changes to Chase Farm, have failed to use the influence of the council to attempt to affect the process. Despite the huge gains made in the NHS, there are tough decisions ahead. It would be useful if instead of populist positioning, Conservatives could instead do the job they were elected to do and make sure Broxbourne Council does everything it can to get the right decision for the borough. If the Tories really care, I expect them to schedule a debate within the council chamber as soon as possible. Cllr Malcolm Aitken
Labour gain an extra councillor as Tories and BNP fail |
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