Commenting on the Government’s announcement of the pilot areas for new anti-obesity programmes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: “This announcement is at risk of being yet another time-wasting gimmick.”

Norman Lamb went on to say:

“Real, long-term progress on tackling obesity will only be made when ministers let go of their paralysing grip on the NHS.

“Liberal Democrat proposals would give directly elected local health boards powers to focus on the priorities in their area.

“Only then will the NHS be free to start exploring new ways of engaging people with healthy living without always looking to ministers for the answers.”

Almost 5,000 people have died from ulcers and pressure sores in the last five years, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. Information uncovered by Paul Burstow through Parliamentary questions shows that 4,708 people have died at least in part to untreated sores in England in the last five years.

People with dementia who have difficulty walking can be especially prone to developing these sores. While usually easy to treat early on, if they are left untreated they do get worse, and they can be dangerous and ultimately contribute to a person dying.

A regional breakdown is included.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Burstow said:

“It is deeply worrying that so many vulnerable older people are suffering from these painful and grotesque sores that can ultimately cause their premature death.

“Pressure sores can be a symptom of a vulnerable older person being ignored or neglected. It is vital that there is a national prevention programme to combat this hidden killer.

“Combating bed sores is not rocket science. Ministers must recognise that they need to be tackled as a matter of urgency.”

Shocking figures have been revealed by the Liberal Democrats showing that a child under 10 is admitted to A&E because of alcohol every 72 hours.  The party highlighted the figures ahead of the launch of their strategy to tackle underage and binge drinking, which will be published tomorrow.

The information, contained in a Parliamentary answer, also showed that in the last five years:

· 24,000 admissions of children under 16 for alcohol-related reasons, a 17% increase over the last five years
· 13,000 admissions of young people aged 16-17 to A&E for alcohol-related reasons, a 95% increase over the last five years
· 640,000 admissions of over-18s to A&E for alcohol-related reasons, an 80% increase over the last five years

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said:

“The Government has talked a lot about the growing alcohol problem, but completely failed to tackle it.

“Britain is in danger of sinking into an epidemic of alcohol-related illness. We cannot continue to ignore the seriousness of the health crisis facing this country.

“For so many children of such a young age to be hospitalised is scandalous.

“Ministers must conduct an urgent review of the systems in place which are meant to be ensuring that young children cannot have access to such harmful substances.

“Only a complete change to our drinking culture will prevent a whole generation of young people from being condemned to serious alcohol-related illnesses.”

The Government’s own figures have revealed that millions of pounds have been wasted on NHS schemes which have not treated any patients at all.

Almost £20 million has been spent on contracts which were axed last year after a policy change following the appointment of Alan Johnson as health secretary.

Almost £7 million was spent by the Department of Health (DoH) on plans, which were later abandoned, to build clinics to perform basic operations and tests.

Another £12.5 million was paid to private companies after negotiations for other clinics were halted, or centres closed just months after contracts begun.

Doctors and opposition politicians described the revelations, which were buried in the DoH’s annual accounts, as a “scandalous” waste of taxpayers money which should have been spent on treating patients.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: “This is a totally scandalous waste of public money. This is money down the drain, and all because this Government has a totally inconsistent approach to the health service.

“Every time they make a knee-jerk shift from one policy to the next, resources get wasted and patients lose out.”

He said it was “entirely unacceptable” that taxpayers were paying millions because of botched negotiations by the Government.

The British Medical Association said that the scheme had been poorly handled from the start.Jonathan Fielden, chairman of its consultants committee, said  ”Mr Johnson scored a political point by slowing down the scheme, and that was welcome, but it is only now that we learn that it came with a £20 million price tag.

“All of this is money which was promised for patient care, and which has been wasted because the Government has handled this programme so badly from the start”.

Britain will suffer an epidemic of mental distress as a consequence of the recession Britain will suffer an epidemic of mental distress as a consequence of the recession hitting families, Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg will say today.

Speaking to a conference at the University of Sheffield, Nick Clegg will call for action to combat the ‘hidden tragedy’ of the recession, by reducing the impact of the financial crisis on people’s mental health.

Nick Clegg will put forward proposals to help families affected by the mental ill health associated with rising levels of unemployment, repossessions and personal debt. Mental ill health can make it harder for people to manage their money and some conditions are closely associated with compulsive spending that can cause serious financial problems.

Measures include:

·    Debt counsellors to be trained to identify people with mental health problems and therapists to be trained in spotting debt problems and knowing where to direct patients for appropriate financial advice
·    A maximum waiting time of 13 weeks for mental health patients to see a therapist
·    Allowing individuals to ‘freeze’ their own credit rating so no new loans or credit could be given to an individual
·    Banks should put procedures in place to help customers who have disclosed their mental health problems including allowing for accounts to be voluntarily monitored for unusual spending and for a system of joint authorisation from a friend or support worker

Nick Clegg will say:

“It is the hidden tragedy of a recession that mental illness will surge as people’s jobs and homes are increasingly under threat.

“Every eleven minutes, another family will face the severe anxiety and mental strain of having their home repossessed.

“People shouldn’t have to face these difficult times on their own. Those professionals advising people in financial trouble need to be trained to spot signs of mental health problems and be aware of where people can get help.

“If people know that their mental health means they are more likely to go on spending binges, why shouldn’t they have the right to voluntarily add extra controls on their account and credit ratings?

“At a time when the limited mental health services available on the NHS are already under immense strain, ministers must prepare now for this profound consequence of the recession.”

Norman Lamb branded the sharp rise in hospital readmissions as a “false economy” in the health service. Figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats show that emergency readmissions for patients aged 16 and over have risen by almost a fifth since 2003.

Norman Lamb blamed the culture of targets saying: “the Government’s push to achieve its waiting time targets, coupled with overcrowding in hospitals, risks compromising patients’ safety.”

The figures, revealed in answer to a Parliamentary Question, showed that:

• One in seven elderly patients (14%) were readmitted as an emergency case within 28 days of discharge from hospital in 2006-07
• Since 2003, the proportion of emergency readmissions has risen by almost one fifth (19%) for patients aged 16 and over
• The proportion of emergency readmissions for patients under 16 has risen by 10%

You can read the Parliamentary answer here.

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, went on to say:

“These figures show what can happen when targets get in the way of clinical priorities. Doctors are being put under huge pressure to cut the length of time that people stay in hospital to meet top-down targets.

“It is a false economy and poor practice to send people home too soon, only to have them readmitted days later.”

There has been a 26% increase in the number of premises selling alcohol, but only 0.1% of such premises have had their licences taken away, according to Liberal Democrat analysis of new Licensing Statistics released today.

Don Foster went on to say:

The figures also show that there was a 14% increase in the number of premises with 24-hour licences.

This is despite the fact that in 2007/8 there were 947,000 alcohol-related violent incidents and an increase in crime in the early morning.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said:

“Despite ministers’ complete failure to get to grips with binge drinking, the number of licensed premises is soaring.

“The Government’s failure to prosecute those selling alcohol to drunk people and children has made many town centres ‘no go’ areas, causing immense damage.

“We have laws in place to deal with these problems but they simply aren’t being enforced. The message should be simple, those who can’t sell alcohol responsibly won’t be allowed to sell it at all.”

NHS Direct was set up with the aim of giving simple medical advice and help prevent patients unnecessarily wasting their GP’s time. At the time it was claimed that it would help to speed up access to GP surgeries; however in some people are still having to wait well in excess of three days to see their GP. 

Earlier this year an official report prepared by the helpline estimated that the price of answering every phonecall was running at around £16, but new figures show that the true cost is far higher.  

In a written parliamentary answer to the Liberal Democrats, ministers revealed that the operating costs of the service had run at more than £22 per call since 2004, when it was established as a national service.  

That figure rose to £25.54 in 2005-06 and last year the cost per call was £25.53, the statistics show, which is as much as a visit from a patient to see a GP were they will obviously get better and prompt treatment.  

In 2007-08 the service received 4,858,000 phonecalls from patients. 

But the round-the-clock service, which has a budget of £139 million, has faced criticism from its inception for high running costs and the limited help it can offer patients.  

More than a third of those who call the organisation’s nurse advisers are immediately referred on to their GP or to a hospital accident and emergency unit.  

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said: “It’s time for a proper evaluation of NHS Direct.  

”With all the problems there have been around out-of-hours care we might have expected to see an increase in the numbers using NHS Direct. But instead more people are going straight to A&E.  

”Ministers must look seriously at how they can justify this massive cost to the NHS given the enormous pressures on health spending.  

”The Government must ensure that all services on the NHS offer value for money.”

In almost all cases, people from deprived areas are less likely to survive cancer compared to the rest of England as a whole.  In addition a person who lives in one of the wealthier parts of North East Lincolnshire can expect to live eight years longer than deprived area, such as some parts of the Yarborough Ward.

New figures have been released in reply to a Parliamentary Question and been highlighted by the Liberal Democrats.  The figures show that people in poorer areas are:

• Over 20% more likely to die of oesophageal cancer within five years than average
• 9% less likely to survive cancer of the rectum
• 7% less likely to survive stomach or bladder cancer
• 5% less likely to survive lung cancer
• 3% less likely to survive colon cancer

The figures also show that men from poorer areas tend to have lower survival rates than women from poorer areas in all cancers except for bladder cancer.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb commented:
 
“The stark truth is that after 11 years in government, Labour has failed to tackle the deep disadvantage that scars much of our country and results in growing inequalities in health.
 
“It is shocking and disgraceful that this contrast can exist in modern Britain.
 
“For the past decade, this Government has achieved little more than broken promises on reducing health inequality.  Too much vital investment has been wasted on top-down bureaucracy.
 
“Such health inequalities will be Labour’s shameful NHS legacy.”