"GOVERNMENT FIGHTING BATTLES WITH FRONTLINE STAFF IN EVERY CORNER OF NHS" - MULHOLLAND

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 7th Feb 2008

Speaking in debate on staffing in the NHS today, Greg Mulholland MP, member of the Liberal Democrat Shadow Ministerial Health team and member of Parliament for Leeds North West, criticised the Governments confused and muddled approach to staffing in the health service which has left it fighting battles with frontline staff across the NHS.

At a time when it is trying to forcibly impose new conditions on GPs, desperate to avoid the appearance of looking weak following the GP pay settlement negotiated in 2004, the Government is also battling an exodus of nurses abroad, a drop in quality of maternity services blamed on a lack of staff, and the alienation of junior doctors following the botched modernising medical careers programme.

Commenting Mr Mulholland said:

"The Government is fighting running battles against frontline staff in every corner of the NHS, and they are battles of their own making.

"This is a Government which is ignoring nurses, has lost the trust of junior doctors, and is now at war with GPs.

"The Government are reaping the rewards of poor workforce planning, botched recruitment, and rushed contract negotiations, and yet they seem intent on trying to scapegoat GPs and hospital staff when they should be working with them.

"We need real partnership and long-term strategic workforce planning, not divisive, top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions from Whitehall."