Protesters Confront Health Secretary

4.16.44pm GMT Tue 14th Nov 2006

Thousands have joined the long running protest against cuts to Cornish services

West Cornwall MPs Julia Goldsworthy and Andrew George delivered a 41,000 signature petition in support of the St Michael's and West Cornwall Hospitals this lunchtime to coincide with the visit of Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt to Treliske Hospital in Truro.

Ms Goldsworthy and Mr George also spoke to the West Cornwall and St Michael's campaigners who staged a vigil at the entrance of the Secretary of State's arrival. The two MPs had urged the Health Secretary to visit the hospitals in western Cornwall to get a better understanding of the challenges faced and the threats experienced by the two hospitals.

Ms Goldsworthy and Mr George handed in the petition on behalf of all five Cornish MPs, who strongly support the campaign for fair NHS funding and the continuation of local hospitals, which are under threat.

The MPs will be meeting the Secretary of State after she returns to London.

Julia Goldsworthy MP Falmouth and Camborne said:

"We hope that the Secretary of State will now appreciate more of the consequences of the government's under funding of Cornwall's NHS.

"Cornwall needs a fairer funding deal. The market forces factor needs to be addressed and decisions impacting upon the long term future of our local NHS should not be taken until we know the details of the new funding formula."

Andrew George MP for Penzance and St Ives commented:

"We appreciate that the Health Secretary cannot micromanage hospital services in Cornwall, but she can make sure that those she appoints to run hospitals in Cornwall keep the NHS local. That means that services at the two western hospitals must be protected and enhanced. It would be a dangerous folly to put all the emergency capacity eggs in the basket of one hospital at Treliske."

Truro & St Austell MP Matthew Taylor has been coordinating the Lib Dem effort to get a fairer funding formula for Cornwall's NHS. He added:

"The Secretary of State for Health must now realise the geography of Cornwall means that it costs more, not less, to run the NHS here. Tying funding to low local wages, when NHS staff are on national pay scales, is total nonsense, and we won't let her forget it."