Empty promises

Here in York, we have seen a suffocating council budget settlement, with £1.25 million held back and a reduction of five per cent in the supporting people programme with a forecast further cut in this area of some 49 per cent.

Furthermore, there are real concerns about the impact of cuts in health provision throughout the Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) area.

Residents in York are rightly worried about a possible reduction in standards of healthcare at York Hospital. Many staff in the NHS have seen their terms and conditions of employment reduced under the Government's Agenda For Change programme.

These cuts, as reported in the Evening Press, include cutting back on outpatient appointments and minimising emergency appointments. The Agenda For Change programme has forced the PCT to freeze vacancies and cut agency staff - a decision that has directly reduced the operational hours of the popular NHS Walk-in Centre in Monkgate.

This New Labour Government is playing politics with health provision in York.

Without proper funding, our hospital will not be able to respond to the needs of local people. The difficulty is that people cannot be prevented from being ill, and cuts at the PCT will put even more pressure on already-stretched council services. While all appreciate the need to attempt to minimise costs and seek efficiencies, the Government is cynically slashing the resources for health now they have secured the recent election victory, and residents in our city will suffer as a result.

Coun Martin Lancelott,

Vice-chairman of social

services and health,

City of York Council,

Hazel Garth,

Stockton Lane, York.

Updated: 11:59 Tuesday, January 24, 2006