My recent West Briton comment on the NHS

Dr Loveday E.T. Jenkin, Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall

The NHS in Cornwall has been systematically mismanaged and under-funded by previous governments. The Conservative and Labour Parties started the privatisation and fragmentation that has been continued by the Tory-Lib-Dem coalition. The NHS is not safe in any of their hands. The current system with a proliferation of procurement contracts has fragmented provision and led to poor continuity of care. Mebyon Kernow understands that, in these difficult economic times, Cornwall needs a decent health service to support one and all – including the hard pressed workers that the NHS depends upon. We propose a return to a fairly-funded Cornwall-wide coherent health service which is fully responsible to a democratically elected Cornish Assembly. The joining of a Cornwall-wide health service with an efficient social care system both under democratic control will lead to a much more efficient and cost effective service supported by a fair funding strategy. The National Assembly of Wales and Scottish Parliament have managed to protect Welsh and Scottish communities from the top-down reorganisation, and creeping privatisation of the National Health Service being experienced in Cornwall and England. A National Assembly of Cornwall would set the funding and policy framework for a democratically controlled integrated social and health service.