Secretary of State for Health, John Reid, has today announced funding arrangements for Primary Care Trusts throughout England and Wales. However, according to the Department of Health’s own statistics, the award for 2005/06 is 2% less than the ‘ideal’ funding for the Burntwood Lichfield and Tamworth Primary Care Trust and 1.5% down for 2007-08. The ‘ideal’ funding is determined by the Department of Health itself for each Primary Care Trust.

Michael Fabricant says: "While I welcome John Reid’s statement which at least enables primary care trusts to plan ahead, it is disappointing that the Government are unable to meet their own targets for funding. The Burntwood Lichfield and Tamworth Primary Care Trust is currently running a deficit of £2,500,000. This is not surprising given that John Reid has just announced a financial settlement 2% less than his own Department’s assessment of what the BLT Trust needs to carry out its health care work properly and the continued imposition of targets forced on PCTs by the Department of Health. I hope this will not affect the provision of health services in Lichfield and Burntwood – let alone Tamworth. I have every admiration for the work that health professionals and the Trust undertake in our area despite funding shortages

"I will be keeping a close eye on primary health services and the progress of the new hospital in Lichfield which will replace both the Victoria in Lichfield and the Hammerwich Hospital. But this financial settlement is very worrying"