Dear Editor

I wonder how many Ross and District residents are really surprised that the Minor Injuries Unit has been closed again for the winter?

David Cameron assured voters that the Conservatives would support the NHS and there would be no more ‘top down’ reorganisations. This was patently untrue.

As recently as 4th November, Theresa May has written in a national paper that the Conservatives are the ‘natural party of the NHS’. She was also talking absolute piffle.

The Conservatives claim to support the NHS but their actions show the complete opposite, with an NHS being run down by constant cuts.

Since 2010, they have closed 15,000 NHS beds, cut half our district nurses, cut 6,000 mental health nurses, left us short of 42,000 nurses and 10,000 doctors. Unsurprisingly waiting times have gone up and all targets for A&E, cancer and routine operations have been missed for the last year in England, as the announcement last week confirmed.

We are constantly told that more than ever is being spent on the NHS; this is utterly misleading because it doesn’t take any account of rising costs, the increase in patient numbers or the ever more complex procedures that are being undertaken.

The Government have also, very quietly, removed their ‘duty to provide’ healthcare. (NHA Party).

Anybody who uses the NHS should be absolutely clear that this government is steadily dismantling and privatising services. The information is easily accessible about the increase in the proportion of services which are now being run by private companies for profit.

If you want an NHS, you need to start fighting for it.

Margot Williams

Ross-on-Wye