Massive cuts to preventative care in Cumbria means new cash for NHS is just smoke and mirrors - MP

Local MP Tim Farron says that today's promise of more money for the NHS is nothing but smoke and mirrors after the Government decided to yet again slash spending on preventative health care.

On the last day of the Parliamentary term before Christmas, Conservative ministers sneaked out £85m worth of cuts to the public health budget, which is used for key services such as preventative mental health care, preventative physical health care, 'stop smoking' clinics, and drug and alcohol misuse services.

In Cumbria, the public health budget is set to be slashed by half a million pounds and is one of the 10 local authorities receiving the least money per head from the Conservative Government.

As a result, Cumbria's spending per head is set to drop from £37 per head, to £36 per head, much lower than the national average of £63 and considerably lower than the City of London which receives £241 per head.

Perniciousness heavy cuts to the public health budget mean that Cumbria now only spends 75p per child each year on preventative mental health care.

Tim said: "The Conservative Government have wheeled out an almighty fanfare to promote this supposed new windfall for our NHS.

"But today's announcement is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to disguise the cutbacks they sneaked out just before Christmas to preventative health care.

"We all know that prevention is better than a cure, and lots more money will be needed for the NHS to deal with all the people that are now going to miss out on preventative care.

"It's quite astonishing that in places like Cumbria, where we already getting a raw deal, the Conservatives decide to further slash the funds to this vital support.

"We demand better than a Government who give themselves a pat on the back for claiming to invest in the NHS, while simultaneously cutting mental health care for Cumbria's kids."