Funding For New Malvern Hospital Should Be Top Of The Health Secretary's List

12.10.23am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 9th Jul 2006

Brian Norfolk, Corporate Projects Manager for Wychavon DC (centre), shows Richard Burt (left) and Steve Webb MP (right) the plans for the new Pershore Hospital

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Steve Webb MP, joined newly appointed West Worcestershire parliamentary candidate Richard Burt in calling on Patricia Hewitt to stump up money for a new community hospital in Malvern. Their call came during the Lib Dem MP's recent fact finding mission to the county after the Health Secretary announced new money for NHS capital projects last week.

Richard Burt said: "The people of Malvern urgently need modern community healthcare facilities. The Government said this week that there is money available for new community hospitals and Malvern should be top of their list. I will now be campaigning for urgent action to get the money together so that work can start as soon as possible on new Malvern community hospital. I will be personally delivering a letter to the Health Secretary saying that the test of her seriousness about new community facilities is whether the long-discussed plans for Malvern can now become a reality."

Steve Webb MP said: "The people who take decisions about local healthcare are suffering from constantly being reorganised by Whitehall. Instead of being able to give 100% of their attention to drawing up plans for a new hospital at Malvern, they are busy having to create a new health trust and having to apply for their own jobs. This is a direct consequence of the Government's constant meddling. The Government should stop interfering and give local health chiefs the time they need to get on with planning the new community health facilities that are so urgently needed. It is no good paying lip service to the importance of community facilities - it is time the Government put its money where its mouth is".