Government greed costing local hospitals £2m a year – MP

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has hit out at the Government's draconian measures which are robbing local hospital trusts of millions of pounds.

For trusts who are having to borrow money due to severe underfunding from central Government, they are being charged 3% interest by the Treasury.

Morecambe Bay Trust in South Cumbria are currently running a £63m deficit as a result of chronic underfunding and are therefore having to pay around £2m a year back to the Government.

Today, Tim has written to the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, asking for this 'tax on local patients' be scrapped immediately.

Tim said: "It's frankly disgraceful that our local hospitals trust is being punished to the tune of £2m a year for the crime of putting patients first.

"This money could be going towards funding an extra 60 nurses for our area.

"If the Government were actually giving our hospitals the funding it needs then hospitals trusts like Morecambe Bay wouldn't have to run a deficit in the first place.

"The Conservatives' shameful tax on local patients must end now."