Welsh Conservatives today pledged to lobby AMs on the importance to Wales of protecting NHS funding in the weeks running up to the vote on the Assembly Government’s Final Budget.
In a debate on the Draft Budget this afternoon, Welsh Conservative AMs warned of the impact that devastating cuts to local health services across Wales.
The Assembly Government cut £435million from the NHS budget in 2010-11 and plans a series of cuts amounting to £1billion over the next three years.
Nick Bourne AM, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly, said, “Who would have thought that a Labour-led Government would inflict cuts on the National Health Service?
“Labour-Plaid has cut £435million from the NHS budget this year and plans to cut £1billion from the NHS over the next three years, despite Wales having some of the UK’s worst health outcomes.
“At a time when more than one in nine people are waiting for hospital treatment, when ambulance response times are failing to meet targets and when long-term ill-health is worse than other nations of the UK, now is not the time to cut Wales’ NHS budget.
“People across Wales are telling us that their want their local NHS services protected from cuts.”
Nick Ramsay AM, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services, said, “Welsh Conservatives are the only party in Wales committed to protecting the NHS budget.
“Stopping Labour-Plaid cuts will allow us to invest in cancer services, underfunded hospices and community hospital services.
“In the coming weeks we will continue to lobby AMs to back our calls to protect NHS funding.”
