BURT BATTLES FOR NHS JOBS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Nov 2006

Lorely Burt MP has criticised the government for wasting public money through over-emphasis on short term solutions and targets. Mrs Burt discussed NHS job cuts with West Midlands staff who lobbied Parliament in a mass rally on 1st November.

Commenting on the discussions she said,

"The NHS is suffering from the losses of senior staff in key areas due to government mismanagement. The government has poured a lot of money into the NHS but huge amounts are being wasted by not listening to people on the ground.

"Misuse of taxpayer's money to help create independent treatment centres and forcing hospitals into a straight jacket of targets and initiatives is causing chaos. Senior nursing staff are being made redundant because they are deemed too expensive and services are not joined up to treat the sick effectively.

"The government needs to back off from trying to micromanage the NHS." She added.

An alliance of 16 Unions representing nurses, doctors, midwives and cleaners gathered with hundreds of protesters to demonstrate against proposals to cut 20,000 posts within the NHS.