Call for more NHS funding for local health services

He fears that if more government cash is not earmarked for health spending, people in Crawley and surrounding areas could end up facing ‘limited treatment’ and healthcare rationing.

He is now petitioning the government to take action.

Councillor Lamb first raised concerns last year when the Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group - which is responsible for paying for Crawley’s health services - was placed in ‘special measures’ because of budget over-spending.

The group is now putting together a ‘financial recovery plan’ but Councillor Lamb said: “At this stage we have no clear information on what steps are being proposed to cut healthcare expenditure in Crawley.

“The CCG will work to deliver the best services they can with the resources they have available, but as patients we shouldn’t have to wonder whether the treatments we will be offered in the future are the ones our medical practitioners believe to be right for our condition or simply the best the local NHS can afford.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. CCGs are moving into special measures because the funding allocated to the NHS is insufficient for meeting residents’ needs.

“The Government has the power to raise more revenue or change their priorities for the money already within the system.

“The Health Secretary must now take action to ensure that NHS Crawley CCG receives the funding it requires to move out of special measures before any consideration is given to the rationing treatment.”

Horsham and Mid Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group is also in ‘special measures.’ In fact, says Councillor Lamb, In Sussex, Surrey and Kent alone, five out of 14 clinical commissioning groups have now been placed into special measures.

This, he says, highlights “the general financial difficulties faced across the NHS, yet at the budget in autumn 2017, funding was announced for less than half the gap identified by healthcare experts.”

Nearly 5,000 people have already signed Councillor Lamb’s petition calling for the government “to give Crawley’s NHS the funding it needs to function.”

To sign the petition go to https://www.change.org/p/the-secretary-of-state-for-health-we-call-upon-the-secretary-of-state-to-give-crawley-s-nhs-the-funding-it-needs-to-function/nftexp/ex43/control/109683975?recruiter=109683975&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial.undefined&utm_content=ex43%3Acontrol