Save Our NHS Leicestershire on a national NHS demonstration in London 30 June 2018, photo Mike Barker, photo Mike Barker

Save Our NHS Leicestershire on a national NHS demonstration in London 30 June 2018, photo Mike Barker, photo Mike Barker   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Local NHS bosses plan to reorganise acute hospital services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR), costing around £370 million.

Their plans involve moving services away from Leicester General onto two sites – the Royal Infirmary and Glenfield – with a new maternity hospital at the Royal Infirmary and a new treatment centre at Glenfield.

But the local NHS Trust’s plans do not include an increase in the number of beds – even though a lack of beds led to the cancellation of thousands of operations during last year’s winter crisis.

Over the next 30 years the ‘Strategic Growth Plans’ for LLR plan house-building for a population growth of hundreds of thousands.

A significant increase in the number of available beds is necessary, not a standstill!

The local NHS Trust claims that an expansion in community services and different pathways of care will offset rising need for hospital care.

But chronic underfunding across the NHS alongside cuts to local government spending means that social care faces a crisis of similar proportions to that of the NHS.

The NHS must be defended against Tory attacks. Our ageing and growing population means that we must also extend and develop and expand what we already have.

This means building a movement to defeat this vicious government.

Britain is the fifth richest country in the world. We can afford a properly funded public health system. The problem is that we live in a system that is rigged in favour of the superrich.

What we cannot afford is to be complacent. To get involved with our campaign, contact [email protected].

Tom Barker, secretary, Save Our NHS Leicestershire