As a new Assembly term begins, the Welsh Conservatives have called on Labour-Plaid to reconsider the cutbacks proposed within the NHS in Wales and be truthful about the reasons behind them.
Earlier this year the Health Minister announced cuts of £435 million from a budget the Welsh Conservatives have pledged to safeguard.
Shadow Minister for Finance Nick Ramsay AM said: “We are currently facing NHS cuts in Wales that are considerable and worrying. Frontline services are being put at risk and budgetary pressures are calling into question the future of community hospitals in Wales. The size of these reductions must be reconsidered immediately.”
“Last week, even Plaid Cymru’s economic adviser Eurfyl ap Gwilym claimed senior Assembly Government figures, including the First Minister, had exaggerated the scale of the spending squeeze facing Wales.
“This cannot be truer than in the case of the NHS.
“In times of economic hardship, political parties need to work together to find acceptable ways forward to protect frontline services. This must now take place in Wales in order to save our Health Service.”
“In addition, the reasons behind these cuts must be explained honestly, rather than manipulated for political advantage.
“Let’s be clear. These are Labour cutbacks, resulting from Labour’s mismanagement of the UK economy over the last decade. They cannot be blamed upon the new coalition government. To do so is deceiving the public for political gain.
“It is time for Labour to follow the advice of their party’s leadership candidate Andy Burnham: Let’s get some honesty in this debate at the beginning.”
