Rowen unearths shocking new NHS staffing statistics

Date published: 22/03/2006

Paul Rowen, has unearthed new figures that have shown that the number of doctors in Rochdale Primary Care Trust has only grown by 4% and nurses by 3 % since 2001, however the numbers of clerical and administrative staff have soared by 50%.

Paul said:

"Anyone who has had any direct experience of the NHS can tell you that not enough of our taxpayers' money is being sent to the frontline. We need more doctors and nurses, not more paper trails and forms to fill in.

"As Tony Blair keeps telling us, by next year the Labour Government will have tripled the amount of money that gets spent on the NHS. But where are the results? Billions and billions of pounds have been spent - are we getting value for money?

"From 1 April there is going to be a new NHS dentists contract, but it's been so badly set up by the Government that dentists across the country are turning to private practice. In the new NHS dentists' contract there is no new money for more badly-needed NHS dentists, but I fully expect that more bureaucrats will be needed to administer it.

"Nobody doubts that Gordon Brown is extremely effective at getting tax out of us, and the Government have proved they can spend it fast enough. The problem is that they don't spend it wisely.

"In Rochdale that could mean that we are paying for 50% more for administration but only 3% more on nurses. It's yet more proof that the Government doesn't have the same priorities as the rest of us."