Political opinion: Current Government NHS policies are failing Northampton residents
As Councillor for Far Cotton, Delapre and Briar Hill, I hear every week from residents who are deeply worried about what is happening to our NHS. People tell me they cannot get a GP appointment, and when they turn to Northampton General Hospital, they are left waiting for hours in A&E before they are even seen. This is becoming the new normal and it should not be acceptable.
As a paramedic currently working within a GP surgery, I am also witnessing these struggles first hand. Patients are waiting longer than ever for the most basic treatment and care. Every day I see the pressure mounting on both patients and staff, with demand far outstripping the system’s ability to respond. It is heart-breaking to watch people who simply need help being caught in a cycle of delays and frustration.
From where I stand, these problems are not accidents. They are the direct result of the current Government’s NHS policies. We are seeing staff shortages everywhere, yet newly qualified healthcare professionals are struggling to find work. The College of Paramedics has reported that up to 40% of new paramedics can’t get jobs in the ambulance service. The Royal College of Nursing says many new nurses face the same problem, and junior doctors are struggling too. At a time when the NHS is crying out for staff, leaving trained professionals on the side lines makes no sense at all.
On top of this, both Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital have asked staff to consider voluntary redundancies. I don’t need to tell local people what that means fewer staff available on the wards and in clinics, and even longer waits to see a clinician. Patients here in Northamptonshire are paying the price for policies that cut capacity rather than strengthen it.
The Government claims record investment in the NHS, but the reality is that NHS trusts are being asked to slash budgets, in some cases by as much as 50%. That’s not investment it’s managed decline. And while ministers boast about millions of extra appointments and operations, the truth is many of these are being outsourced to private providers instead of building up our NHS properly. That might shift numbers on a spreadsheet, but it doesn’t solve the problem.
When Mike Reader stood against me at the last General Election, he promised the people of Northampton that the NHS would be improved. But what I see on the ground and what my constituents are experiencing every single day tells a different story. Far from fixing the system, current government policies are breaking it faster than ever before.
As a paramedic. I know how important it is to be held to the very highest standards when people’s safety is at stake. The Government should be held to those same standards. Right now, its policies are letting down both patients and staff.
That’s why I’ve written to our MP, Mike Reader, to request answers on behalf of local residents. Northamptonshire deserves better than waiting lists, staff cuts, and empty promises. Our community needs an NHS that works not one that is being allowed to fail.