Sheffield Children's Hospital in cash crisis

10.12.02am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 22nd Jan 2007

Sheffield Children's Hospital

The full extent of the cash crisis facing Sheffield's local Children's Hospital has been revealed. In a Town Hall meeting scrutinising the NHS Trust councillors heard that the organisation is being forced to cut a total of £10m over two years from its £100m budget, a reduction of 10%.

The Council's Children and Young Peoples Scrutiny Board heard that as a result of the cuts brought about by Labour Government policy services would suffer. John Reid, Director of Clinical Operations and Nursing at the Hospital, said "there is no hiding the fact that it (reduction of budgets) will mean a reduced service".

Cuts include the potential loss of up to 320 posts and a 20% reduction in the vital Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Mr Reid also informed the board that the closure of the S2 ward will go ahead in April this year if additional investment from the Sheffield Primary Care Trust is not provided to the Children's Hospital.

Local Liberal Democrats are protesting against these cuts that would see services for children's health care suffer. They believe that decisions health care healthcare should not be financially driven and have vowed to defend the local NHS.

The cuts are part of Labours reform of the NHS which has seen central Government demand widescale cuts to local health services. Only recently a local Sheffield Labour councillor and UNISON branch Secretary Cllr Campbell commented on cuts that "It's bad news and it's been created by reforms put forward by Tony Blair".

Cllr Paul Scriven, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Sheffield City Council, said: -

"These cuts to our much treasured Children's Hospital are unwelcome and a direct result of Labour Government policy, as pointed out by the local Labour Party themselves"

"The reduction of up to 20% to the vital children's mental health service is particularly worrying. The children using the service are amongst the most needy in our society, these cuts could cut this service off for many of these youngsters"

"The possible closure of the S2 ward in April this year will come as alarming news to the protesters of protestors who marched in support of the ward just a short time ago. I and many others still believe that the ward should be kept open as it provides a vital service to local young people"

"Its clear that this unacceptable 10% reduction in the budget of the Children's Hospital will have a real negative affect on young people and their families using the service. Liberal Democrats are standing up against these cuts and will be fighting the Government proposals in order to defend our local NHS"