John has welcomed news that the Government has written off over £57million of Weston hospital’s historic debts; a move which marks a victorious end to the long-running campaign to make the hospital sustainable for the future.
John said: “For years, Weston hospital struggled financially, with annual budget over-runs because it couldn’t make ends meet. I and others campaigned about it for ages, saying we didn’t get the health cash that successive Governments’ official figures said we should, or that our elderly population needed. After years of prodding and persuasion we got the budget we deserved, and this year we merged with Bristol Royal Infirmary to give our hospital a solid long-term foundation at last.
“But we still had the millstone of all those historic debts hanging round the hospital’s neck, sucking money away to repay the debts and interest when it should have been used for frontline local health services instead. Wiping the slate clean is the final victory in this incredibly long-running campaign. It’s a real milestone, and the best possible way to send the newly-merged hospitals on their way together.”
Examples of John’s long-running campaign for a fairer deal for Weston hospital are shown below:
John met with the (then) Health Minister Jeremy Hunt to discuss ideas to build firm foundations for Weston: http://www.waht.nhs.uk/en-GB/NHS-Mobile/About-the-Trust/?depth=4&srcid=2303
In an interview with a local paper, John said there was still work to be done to get a better deal and secure Weston Hospital’s finances: https://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/q-a-north-somerset-ccg-placed-in-special-measures-but-what-does-it-mean-1-4634869
John teamed up with the Mercury in their new Fairer Funding campaign focusing on both Health and Education: https://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/join-our-fairer-funding-campaign-1-3838255
In 2011, John was made President of the Hospital’s League Of Friends, a position he still proudly holds: https://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/mp-penrose-heads-hospital-friends-1-807945
In 2008, John called for the Government to give Weston the funding it deserved:https://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/call-for-fairer-health-funding-1-313145