More NHS cash - and going where it matters

Wandsworth is getting a significantly above inflation increase in its health budget next year; with the extra money being targeted at the public's priorities: cleaner hospitals and extending GP practice opening hours among them.

An extra £23 million is being pumped into Wandsworth - that's a 5% rise. As a result, by the end of the year no-one in Wandsworth should have to wait more than four months from referral to the start of treatment. If that figure doesn't sound especially radical to you, it's worth remembering what things were like just five years ago.

Then, 1,126 people were wating more than six months for an operation - today no-one waits that long. And 2,328 were waiting more than thirteen weeks - that had been reduced to just 434 by May of this year. Under the Conservatives, far more patients were waiting even longer.

Since 1997 when Labour was elected, London now has:

• More than 15,000 extra nurses
• 500 more dentists
• 500 more GPs
• Almost 3,000 more Hospital Consultants
• 1,000 more Midwives
• And more than 3,500 extra doctors in training

And locally Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton has been rebuilt and re-opened; Putney Hospital on Putney Common is on the verge of its very own rehabilitation and a new medical centre for the Southfields area opened a few years ago, to name just the three biggest NHS improvements locally.

But don't take my word for it - here's what local GP Dr Tom Coffey says: "I am impressed that the government is putting its money where its mouth is and providing us with the investment we need."

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