NHS Services (Hertfordshire)

As my hon. Friend rightly highlights, the trust has been punished. Genuine concern has also been caused among what are probably the most vulnerable parts of our community. Clouds are hanging over good services, such as Signet house, Oxford house and the Seward Lodge day care unit, which are invaluable to our constituents. As hon. Members have said, the worst news was probably when we were told about the 500 jobs that would be lost from the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. As my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) said, 150 of those affected will not simply be managers, but doctors and nurses. Up to three wards could well be lost at the two hospitals in Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City. The best way of describing how people feel about that is a quotation that I recently read from a local nurse, who said:"““Nurses are scared, upset and demoralised—they feel like they’ve worked flat out to deliver Government targets and this is their reward.””" With all those developments affecting the NHS in east Hertfordshire, hon. Members will see immediately how hollow the Secretary of State’s words sound to my constituents. Part of the problem is the Government’s obsession with reorganisation. I have been a Member of Parliament for five years, and in that time the Government have restructured, de-merged, re-merged and reorganised the ambulance trust at least once and the PCTs twice. The new strategic health authority will be in its third incarnation—I thought that only Dr. Who could change his form so often. The whole structure of health care in Hertfordshire seems to be up for grabs. Chairs are delicately moved around, but nothing is done about the service. Reorganising and restructuring will make no difference if the fundamentals are not dealt with. That leads me to my principal point. In Hertfordshire, the truth is that patients are not getting their fair share. NHS spending per person in Hertfordshire is just 90 per cent. of the average for England. On last year’s figures, the shortfall is £69 per person, which means that my constituency lost out by £5.2 million last year. For the county, it is £69 million in one year. Of course, it does not stop there. England itself is a poor relation when compared, for example, with Scotland. On last year’s figures, patients in Hertfordshire got only £614 per person, but Scottish patients received £855 per person. That is a gap of £241 per person or, in my constituency alone, £18 million in one year. It is an iniquity, which will appal many people, and to which I hope the Minister will respond.