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Cash fails to hit spot

THE Government says it is spending more on the NHS than ever before. So it should be as the population increases. Treatment is better but more expensive and people live longer but get more complex and long-term conditions.

However, less and less NHS funding reaches the front line as more money is taken away by policies drawn up by the Treasury and the Department of Health.

Pension costs are increased. The Care Quality Commission has its budget slashed so passes its costs to the hospitals, care homes and GP practices it inspects.

Billions have been siphoned out of the NHS budget to prop up social services which have been impoverished by Government cuts to local authority funding.

This money was given to the Better Care Fund which was to provide integrated plans linking NHS and social care, but it has not proved better at much.

One of that fund’s key aims was to reduce delayed transfers from hospital to social care – the famous ‘bed blocking’.

However, in England during 2016-2017 almost 2.25 million bed days were lost due to delayed transfers from hospital wards – an increase on the previous year of 26 per cent.

Now, in what may become of the biggest land grab in Britain since the dissolution of the monasteries, local NHS property is being seized and passed to a company called NHS Property Services, which is told to charge commercial rents so it can be fattened up for sale to the private sector.

Wiltshire’s community hospitals have been subject to this land grab, which will trash decades of community involvement and volunteer work.

One result is that NHS Property Services will be charging Wiltshire’s health budget over half a million pounds a year in rent for the new Devizes Urgent Care Centre. That’s a large hole in frontline services for Wiltshire.

TONY MILLETT, Marlborough

Join the reunion

A PLANNED reunion in St Peter’s School, in Marlborough, has been widened to include old students of Marlborough Grammar School.

The event is being organised by St Peter’s School, which is now known as St Mary’s Primary School.

But as the school building served as a grammar school from 1550 until 1962, the organisers have now decided that any old students and members of staff from both schools, should all be given the chance to say their goodbyes to the well-loved old building.

Please come along, have a chat to old friends, have a cup of tea and enjoy a last look around.

Have a jolly afternoon and bring any memorabilia with you on July 1 from 1pm to 4pm.

An information sheet is available from the school in the Parade, Marlborough, telephone (01672) 513158.

DENNIS LAVIS, Elcot Lane, Marlborough