Cross-party campaign group for community hospitals launches

11.40.14am GMT Thu 17th Nov 2005

Norman Lamb has welcomed the launch of CHANT (Community Hospitals Acting Nationally Together), a cross-party campaign group set-up to lobby Ministers, and raise awareness of the nation-wide threat to local community hospitals.

Mr Lamb, a patron of the new group, says:

"Government policy, and financial mismanagement in the NHS, has left local Primary Care Trusts facing record deficits. CHANT will be bringing attention to the fact that up to 90 community hospitals are under threat of closure. In Norfolk, the position is worsened by the costly PFI contract at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital.

"The Government's election manifesto promised new community hospitals. This makes the situation with Wells Hospital particularly galling. I was keen to become a patron because of the situation at Wells and because we have other excellent community hospitals in North Norfolk."