Last week we had the fantastic news that Worthing Hospital has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in all categories following a report by the Care Quality Commission and I want to pay tribute and give my huge thanks to all the staff that made that possible.
Despite this, it is a shame that there is still a lot of mischief-making by Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party. The Government recently announced £33.9bn each year additional spending into the NHS by 2023/24. Our Health Service is the envy of the world - so why would we want to give it away?
The Government has made absolutely clear - the NHS is not going to be any part of a trade deal we negotiate with the US or other countries.
So if people come knocking on your door from the Labour Party with that sort of scare-mongering - first of all be proud, as I am, about our National Health Service and just remind them - 12 years ago when Labour had all the answers to the NHS - we had to march to save this hospital. We had to form the KWASH campaign - the ‘keep Worthing and Southlands Hospital’ campaign.
7000 people marched with me and other Conservative MPs and Councillors along the seafront. 130,000 people wrote in letters and signed petitions. Not a single Labour Councillor from Adur or Worthing came to help in that. We saved this hospital which would have lost its frontline A&E, maternity, paediatrics and other important departments. So if anybody from Labour tell you the NHS is under threat, just remind them what happened 12 years ago in the KWASH campaign.
