13,000 Unnecessary Deaths

A report today by Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS medical director, exposed how up to 13,000 patients died needlessly at 14 trusts across England since 2005.

Shockingly, it was revealed in a parliamentary answer to Essex Conservative MP Priti Patel that Labour ministers were warned 1,547 times about conditions at the 14 hospital trusts. The findings undoubtedly pile pressure on shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, who was in charge of the NHS from June 2009 to May 2010. The review finds that these hospitals failed on Labour's watch, Labour ministers then ignored the warnings and then the wall of silence.

It’s not really surprising that Labour spin doctors are pulling out all the stops on this issue. Labour have already lost the public’s confidence on running the Economy. They have lost the argument on benefits and are in the process of a screeching policy u-turn to align themselves with public opinion.

High youth unemployment suggests Labour’s education policies bred a whole generation of unemployable teenagers and voters are waking up to the strain that Labour’s open door immigration policies put on Schools, Housing, Hospitals and Jobs.

So if Labour lose public confidence on running the NHS as well, they really are going to be stuffed - especially with a poll putting Labour and Conservatives neck and neck in the opinion polls. Meanwhile, the Labour group in Southend celebrated a couple of weeks ago the NHS with cake. Talk about sticking the knife in! For how much longer do we have to keep on hearing that Labour are the party for the NHS.