It is nonsense for health funding to be based on a postcode lottery. A new funding formula which recognises and addresses the current inequalities, is urgently needed.
Local health services are vital – and some local services, particularly A&E and maternity, must be just that – local. A few years ago, I successfully played a key part in the campaign to save A&E services at the Whittington hospital.
But I recently made a shocking discovery – Haringey patients have to wait longer, and don’t have the same access to health services as patients in boroughs such as Islington and Camden. This is due to a historic funding inequality – where ‘inner’ London boroughs receive more money for health services than ‘outer’ boroughs.
In this day and age, where people have a greater choice about where they seek treatment and many commuters are treated outside their borough of residence, it is nonsense for health funding to be based on a postcode lottery. It is clear to me that a new funding formula, which recognises and addresses the current inequalities, is urgently needed.
We also need to protect the Whittington Hospital – so please sign the Whittington Hospital petition here and demand that no hospital services are lost and no property sold without first conducting proper public consultation and putting equal or better local replacement services in place.
More news
- Together with the Haringey Lib Dems, I joined the Whittington march today. We repeated our call for local health services to be protected. The Whittington Board recently announced its intentions to sell off a third of the Hospital site and reduce the number of and staff at the hospital. It came as a shock to politicians, [...] read on
- The Whittington Hospital has suspended its reorganisation plan, following a delay to their Foundation Trust application. The Hospital Board will use the delay to engage the local community, hospital staff and other stakeholders in their strategy. The announcement follows a public meeting last Friday evening, which was organised by Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone. During [...] read on
- On Friday, Lynne Featherstone MP held a public meeting to enable residents to put questions to the Whittington Hospital Board. In January, the Hospital Board announced that they would be selling off buildings in the north of the site. Concerns arose due to the lack of detailed information and consultation on the plans. The Liberal [...] read on
- Lynne Featherstone MP is today issuing a final call for residents to attend tomorrow’s Public Meeting with the Whittington Hospital Board. The meeting will take place on Friday the 1st March, 6pm – 9pm, at Grieg City Academy assembly hall – N8 7NU – entrance only via Hillfield Avenue. The Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey [...] read on
- Lynne Featherstone MP had today announced a public meeting to discuss the future of the Whittington Hospital. The meeting will take place on Friday the 1st March, 6pm – 9pm, at Grieg City Academy assembly hall – entrance via Hillfield Avenue. The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green has arranged the event in her constituency, [...] read on
- Following a meeting with Lynne Featherstone MP and Cllr David Winskill, the Whittington Hospital has offered assurances that no services will be lost during their reorganization until equal or better replacement services are in place. The Whittington Board, who recently announced controversial plans to sell off hospital buildings, have now agreed to run a full [...] read on
- Not much shocks me after so many years in politics. But the revelation at a Board meeting that the Whittington intended to sell off a third of its site, reduce wards and staff was a bolt from the blue. Given that we all – the local MPs from Islington and Haringey – meet with the [...] read on
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