Hospital visit must lead to funding action, says Julia

4.30.00pm GMT Mon 12th Nov 2007

Falmouth and Camborne MP Julia Goldsworthy has renewed calls for fairer funding for Cornish health services, following the visit of Health Minister Ben Bradshaw to two local hospitals. His visit came without any news of a promised review of health funding which leaves rural areas like Cornwall out of pocket each year to the tune of millions of pounds.

Mr Bradshaw visited West Cornwall hospital in Penzance and St Michael's Hospital in Hayle, both run by the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trusts, which was named as the worst in Britain last month by independent watchdog, the Healthcare Commission.

Despite praising the Trust for their progress in tackling their £36m budget deficit, the minister failed to offer any practical support to tackle the unfair funding arrangements which first led to the trust's financial crisis, despite the fact that a report on exactly this issue has been sat on Health Ministers' desks since January.

Under the current system, funding is weighted using 'market forces' to judge the cost of providing services in each area of the UK. This means that Cornwall, which has one of the lowest levels of average income in the country, receives substantially less funding than other areas. This funding discrepancy is despite trusts being required to pay their staff at the same level wherever in the country they are working.

Although a report has been commissioned and completed into this issue, the Department of Health has yet to act on its recommendations, despite indicating before the Summer Recess that they would do so in this Autumn's Spending Review.

Local MP Julia Goldsworthy has written to Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson MP asking for further information about the missing report, as well as information about when the recommendations will be implemented. She will also seek to raise the issue at Health Questions, which are due to take place tomorrow.

Commenting, Julia Goldsworthy MP said:

"Whilst I am pleased that Ben Bradshaw has acknowledged the dedication and skill with which local NHS staff having been working to improve local services, it is very disappointing that the government failed to offer any practical help to rectify the unfairness of the current funding arrangements.

"Cornwall has lost out under this formula for far too long. It is incomprehensible that when NHS wages are the same nationwide, that funding should be based on an area's average private sector incomes. Areas like Cornwall, with low average earnings are then left with a severe funding shortfall.

"I have written to the Health Secretary to urge him to look again at this unfair funding structure and I also hope to raise this issue tomorrow, during Health Questions in Parliament. What we really need is government action, not just ministers on day-trips, to get a fair funding deal for Cornwall.