Shortest hospital waiting times ever in Nottingham

The NHS now has the shortest waiting times since its records began, Labour Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.

New data shows that in Nottingham and across England the NHS has met its target to treat patients within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral by their GP – an achievement which was unimaginable 12 years ago.

In March 1997, there were over 18,860 people on the waiting list for inpatient treatment at the hospitals which now make up Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Today, nobody has to wait more than 18 weeks for treatment, and most waits are much shorter than this.

Alan Johnson MP, Labour’s Health Secretary, said:

“Twelve years ago it was not uncommon for patients to have to wait well over 18 months for an operation. Achieving the shortest waits since NHS records began is a tremendous achievement for staff and I congratulate them for all their hard work.

“We will not dump people on scrapheap like Tories would” – Purnell

Labour’s Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell and Health Secretary Alan Johnson today announced plans to support unemployed people who are experiencing depression or anxiety to get back to work.

The Labour Government is committed to helping people through the recession and today announced an extra £13 million to support and help people to avoid those mistakes suffered during the last recession.

The money will be spent in 35 Integrated Access to Psychological Treatment areas which includes Nottingham City and Lincolnshire.

It will include a new network of employment support workers and provide better access to services and the development of complementary services to increase the availability of debt advice and family counselling, highlighting the vitally important role played by the public services in supporting people through the economic downturn.

60 million reasons to petition on behalf of Basford Hall College

Two years ago residents and community groups alongside local MP Graham Allen fought a successful campaign to safeguard the Basford Hall site for Further and Higher education.

Plans for a new £60 Million Basford Learning Park were unveiled in January by New College Nottingham at the Basford Area Committee.

The plans are for a State of the Art Regional Construction centre that will embrace courses on the repair, maintenance and installation of new renewable energy sources including Solar Panel and Wind Turbine. The College will also offer courses in Health and Social Care of a very high standard.

Basford Councillor Mick Newton said:

Stars back Labour’s scheme for free theatre in the East Midlands

Eddie Izzard and Kevin Spacey have joined Labour’s Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham and Labour’s Minister for the East Midlands, Phil Hope MP, in welcoming Labour’s offer of free theatre tickets for under 26 year olds.

Northampton’s Royal and Derngate Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, Derby’s Assembly Rooms and Guildhall Theatre and the South Holland Centre have all signed up to Labour’s free theatre scheme which is offering 618,000 free theatre tickets across England for the next two years.

Backing the plans in the East Midlands, Phil Hope MP said:

“I am extremely pleased that five theatres across the East Midlands have taken up this scheme as it is so important that we make sure as many young people as possible have the chance to go to the theatre. That is what Labour is all about – giving new opportunities to young people.

Cameron’s cuts would threaten key services in the East Midlands warns Phil Hope

Reacting to the release of a dossier showing which key services in the East Midlands would be put at risk under Conservative spending plans, Phil Hope MP, Labour’s Regional Minister for the East Midlands said:

“At a time when Labour is bringing forward investment in our key services to boost the economy in the East Midlands and provide real help now for families, Conservative spending plans would put all this at risk.

“David Cameron and the local Tories have not only opposed the investment that we want to bring forward in the East Midlands, but he has committed his party to cuts that would threaten key local services like transport, police and schools.

School building plans in East Midlands would face Tory axe

Phil Hope MP, Labour’s Regional Minister for the East Midlands, has today warned that secondary schools in the East Midlands may no longer be rebuilt or refurbished if Conservative spending plans were to go ahead.

The Labour Government has pledged to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school across the East Midlands area as part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. But the Conservatives have proposed cutting £4.5 billion from the programme – putting at risk one in seven future school building projects.

Although the cuts would not affect the 17 schools already involved in BSF, the remaining 232 secondary schools due to be rebuilt in future stages of the scheme would be affected. One in seven of these 232 schools in the East Midlands due to be rebuilt in future years would no longer by rebuilt.

Phil Hope, Labour’s Regional Minister for the East Midlands has pledged to fight the proposed Conservative cuts and has challenged local Tories to join him in standing up for the East Midlands and opposing the proposals.

“East Midlands should lead the way on free school meals” – Glenis Willmott MEP

Glenis Willmott, Labour’s Leader in Europe and East Midlands MEP, has today urged Nottingham and Leicester local authorities to help lead the way on free school meals by bidding to take part in Labour’s £20 million pilot scheme.

The two year pilots which are due to start in September will test how free school meals impact on the education and health of children.

Glenis said:

“We know how important it is for our children to have nutritious lunches at primary schools so it is great that take-up of school lunches is increasing and this pilot will help us collect more evidence about the impact of providing more school meals for free.

“I want to see children from the East Midlands leading the way in healthy living. That’s why I am urging both Nottingham and Leicester to bid to take part in this pilot scheme.

Coaker: Police cuts would be devastating for the East Midlands

Vernon Coaker, Labour’s Police Minister has joined Labour’s Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, in criticising Tory spending plans which would see cuts, equivalent to 231 fewer police officers in the region.

It follows announcements on Monday by David Cameron that he intends to restrict the Home Office budget to a 1 per cent real terms increase for 2009/10, which would require a cut of £160 million in just three months time.

Labour’s Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith said: “David Cameron’s plans for sudden cuts in public spending would be equivalent to slashing the number of police officers in the East Midlands by 231.

Graham Allen MP: Tories will do nothing to give real help now to families and small businesses

Graham Allen, Labour MP for Nottingham North, responding to Andrew Mitchell, the Conservative frontbencher’s visit to Nottingham today, said:

“The economic plans that the Tories are proposing will do nothing to provide real help now for the people of Nottingham.

“Today they claim they want to help the economy but only yesterday they pledged to cut £5 billion from investment in our vital services such as infrastructure, skills and training, right at the time when people need it the most.

“If Andrew Mitchell is serious about helping small businesses, then why is he opposing the new Business Payment Support Service…

East Midlands Minister asks Tory MP which services would face cuts?

Labour’s Regional Minister for the East Midlands, Phil Hope MP, has written to Alan Duncan MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and MP for Rutland and Melton, demanding to know whether he supports David Cameron’s cuts to key services in the area.

In the letter Phil Hope says:

“In 2009 we face a crucial choice: to continue to invest in key services in the East Midlands in difficult times, or to make deep cuts in public spending that would damage the East Midlands.

“As you will be aware, as part of the fiscal stimulus we recently announced that we would bring forward £3 billion of investment in housing, schools, and GP surgeries.

“I am disappointed that your party have opposed this action. It is crucial that we bring forward investment to ensure that we come out of the downturn sooner and stronger, and ready to take advantage of the upturn.”