'Johnson promised us two new hospitals - instead we've lost an MRI scanner', says caller
22 July 2022, 12:12 | Updated: 22 July 2022, 12:21
Caller denigrates Tories for promising two new hospitals
This caller blasts Boris Johnson after his area was promised two new hospitals - and have got something else entirely.
It comes as the official watchdog for government spending is investigating Boris Johnson's promise of 40 entirely new hospitals by 2030, with concerns growing that the pledge has been greatly oversold to the public.
The National Audit Office has stated alarm that the government still maintains the plans are on track - despite it becoming clear that many existing hospitals will be refurbished or extended.
This has become a reality for John in Truro, whose county was promised two new hospitals: "We're getting a women's ward, we're getting a children's ward. They're going to call it hospitals.
"Then they're going to close a bigger ward called Princess Alexandra on the same site and we're going to end up with one less MRI scan."
He told Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting that he has a brain tumour, so the loss of another MRI scanner is critical.
John continued: "My local MP happens to be a Tory, seems to think they're two new hospitals."
He told LBC that, like Wes Streeting, he'd written to the NAO to complain and give evidence.
"It literally looks like 35 of these 40 promised, pledged, written on a stone somewhere...it's going to be five hospitals and 35 refurbishments," he said.
Additionally, NHS bosses have warned that the project to build 40 new hospitals is “moving at a glacial pace” due to a lack of funding.
Some of the construction schemes have already fallen as much as four years behind schedule, while others have been hit by massive cost increases because of difficulties in obtaining sign-off on certain points.
The programme is progressing so slowly that the bosses of half of the trusts elected for change doubt they will ever receive the funds to rebuild, according to a report and survey by NHS Providers.
