Wollaston resignation shows NHS in Devon is at breaking point

Liberal Democrat candidate for Honiton & Sidmouth Richard Foord has warned that Devon’s NHS is ‘at breaking point’, as Dr Sarah Wollaston resigns as Chair over looming cuts.

Dr Sarah Wollaston today announced she had resigned as Chair of NHS Devon, given her reluctance to sign off further cuts to services – stating that the “elastic [has] already stretched too far” in relation to capital spending.

She said that “the state of our infrastructure in too many places is frankly shocking” and warned that a decision had been made to ‘punish’ parts of the NHS with penalties on capital spending budgets.

Richard Foord has long called for the Government to invest more in local community health facilities, including protecting Seaton Hospital from having a community-funded ward sold off by NHS Property Services.

Commenting on the situation, Richard Foord said: 

“Dr Wollaston has taken a brave decision by resigning as Chair of NHS Devon, in protest at further cuts to local facilities.

“The fact she felt the need to do so highlights just how bad things have become under this Conservative government, with community health services here in Devon at breaking point due to damaging cutbacks.

“We’ve seen this first-hand in Seaton, where I’ve been leading a campaign to stop a whole ward of the hospital being ripped away from the community who paid for it, to be sold off to help fill Treasury coffers in London.

“I am proud to be a champion for our NHS. The Liberal Democrats recognise the scale of the challenge; that is why we are pushing for an NHS Rescue Package - to deliver the investment needed to improve frontline health and care services.

“Every vote for the Liberal Democrats at this election is a vote to fix our NHS and ensure people here in rural and coastal Devon get the care they need.”