The first in a monthly column by Katie White, Labour MP for Leeds North West
Whether I’m chatting to people on Otley high street, knocking on doors in Yeadon, or looking through emails from constituents, one issue comes up more than anything else – our NHS.
Our GPs, dentists, hospitals and health centres are the cornerstones of our community networks, but they have been run down for years.
Turning things around isn’t a quick fix but it is vital. That’s why the NHS was a top priority in the first Labour Budget in 15 years, delivered by the first female Chancellor. Rachel Reeves recognised that our NHS is broken but not beaten. Her Budget was the turning point of how we fix it, with a £22.6 billion injection in health spending, a real-terms growth rate of 4%.
From our GP surgeries to Leeds General Infirmary, we all see the strain our health services are under even with the hard work of doctors, nurses and those who support them. Many people still struggle with getting an appointment – ringing up at 8am but still being stuck in an endless queue. Waiting times for many specialist appointments or treatment have gone through the roof too with the waiting list in Yorkshire and the North East hitting over 1 million in August this year.
The new government is determined to turn things around. New funding outlined by the Chancellor will support the delivery of 40,000 extra NHS appointments a week across England, starting to tackle the backlog head on.
When the last Conservative Government brought in reforms to the NHS it was an overly complicated top down reorganisation which ignored staff, wasted money, and made problems far worse.
It was to add insult to injury when the funds earmarked for the redevelopment of Leeds General Infirmary under New Hospital Programme never materialised. Its not good enough.
The previous government didn’t take the future of our NHS seriously, Labour is determined to do it differently.
On our doorstep I know that challenges facing Leeds General Infirmary are directly impacting the ability of the Trust to deliver the standard of care the people of Leeds deserve. I will continue to urge the Chancellor and the Health Secretary to ensure that Leeds is given the priority it deserves in the upcoming review of the hospitals programme.
Although I hear a lot about problems that people across our towns have faced with healthcare, I also hear stories each week about the brilliant staff across our NHS and the great care they have provided.
Our health and the health of our loved ones is the most important thing to us, and that’s why we all care so much about the future of our NHS.
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