03Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must set out when every NHS and social worker will be tested

Parliamentary news
Responding to the announcement from the Health Secretary that the Government aims to carry out 100,000 tests a day by the end of April, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “While Liberal Democrats have full confidence in the Chief Medical Officer, the response from Government Ministers where coronavirus testing is concerned has been disgracefully slow. “Moves now to increase testing are welcome, and we hope they succeed, but NHS workers’ confidence has been shaken after previous promises from the Secretary of State that have not been delivered. We need much greater transparency now.  “The Government must also explain why the UK’s level of testing is still so low compared to some other countries and set out exactly when every NHS and social worker will be tested.”
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03Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

NHS debt write off “win” must come with testing and PPE investment

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron has claimed a campaign victory as the Government annouces it will write off over £13bn of NHS debt and he has called for investment in Covid-19 testing and PPE for NHS staff. The announcement comes after former Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, revealed last year through a freedom of information request that £607,404,854 worth of interest on outstanding debt was paid by NHS Trusts to the Department for Health and Social Care in the previous five years. Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said: “It should not have taken an international pandemic crisis for this to happen but it is very good news all the same. “On top of these debts were huge interest rates that robbed our local hospitals of millions of pounds every year.…
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01Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Migrant NHS “heroes” should be given indefinite leave to remain

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for all foreign national NHS workers risking their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic to be awarded indefinite leave to remain. The call follows reports that doctors, nurses and paramedics will automatically have their visas extended, free of charge, for one year. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "The coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented threat and people are rightly worried. In times like this, we cannot thank front-line staff enough for going above and beyond to look after us all. “Extending the visas in the NHS is welcome, but the Government must also do so much more for the social care system and urgently rollout adequate PPE and testing. "There is a moral principle here. If someone is prepared to risk their life for…
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12Jun 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Make GP clusters an opportunity for Saddleworth say Liberal Democrats

Borough news, Campaigns
Saddleworth Liberal Democrats have called on Oldham council and the NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning group to work together to enhance Primary care health services in Saddleworth Liberal Democrat Councillor for Saddleworth North, Garth Harkness, said: “The NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning group in Oldham are splitting the GP surgeries into clusters. Saddleworth would be in cluster 4 which would see it linked in with some practices in East Oldham.” John Eccles, Liberal Democrat campaigner, said: “The Cluster that Saddleworth sits in has nearly 55,000 patients. Saddleworth Medical Practice has the most patients. The staff are great  but it is bursting at the seams. The Clinical Commissioning groups should look at Saddleworth as the place to host more specialist services and provide a new larger health centre.” Councillor Garth Harkness added: “We…
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31May 2017 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
There would be more nurses, teachers and Police in Oldham area under Liberal Democrats

There would be more nurses, teachers and Police in Oldham area under Liberal Democrats

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats plan for a brighter future, with pledges to reverse Conservative cuts and increase funding for the NHS, schools and police. The Liberal Democrats would put a penny on income tax for health and care would raise £18m for the NHS in Oldham enough to fund 107 more nurses and £7m for social care. An additional £36.37m of funding for schools in Oldham paid for in part by reversing Conservative cuts to corporation tax, would be enough to pay for 200 more teachers. Meanwhile an additional £15.6m funding for Greater Manchester Police would pay for 312 more officers, helping to cut crime and ensure a stronger police presence in the area. Other key policies in the Liberal Democrat manifesto include plans for a £100bn infrastructure fund to build more homes, improve road and rail links and install fibre-optic…
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09May 2017 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Lib Dems penny for the NHS would raise £25m extra for the Oldham area

Lib Dems penny for the NHS would raise £25m extra for the Oldham area

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have announced they would plug funding gaps for the NHS and social care by putting a penny on income tax, in their first major manifesto commitment of the election campaign. The tax would raise an additional £25 Million for the Oldham area, with £18 m for the NHS and £7m for social care each year. The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto will also set out a ‘five-point recovery plan’ for NHS and social care services in their manifesto. At least 70% of Britons would happily pay an extra 1p in every pound if that money was guaranteed to go to the NHS, an ITV poll found last October. Jonathan Smith, Parliamentary candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth said: “Only this weekend a lady in Saddleworth told me she had to go all the way to Bury by…
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