Hospitals crisis worsens

MORE THAN a third of hospitals and primary care trusts (PCTs - bodies that pay for local services) are not expected to 'balance their books' this financial year, according to the most recent forecasts.

These 'deficits', that only exist because of the peculiarities of New Labour's pro-market health policies, are forecast to total £1.32 billion.

That will mean more threats to hospitals, more ward closures, more jobless nurses and more attacks on NHS workers' living standards. NHS campaigners must keep up pressure on the health trade unions to organise a massive national protest demonstration against the health service cuts.