Newcastle North MP and Shadow Treasury Minister, Catherine McKinnell, has slammed the Coalition Government’s failure to uphold its promise to protect the NHS, following this week’s Budget.

Catherine has expressed concern following the Chancellor’s announcement on Wednesday that he would be clawing back £2.2billion from the Department of Health that has not been spent, and has questioned the reasons behind this decision.

Catherine said:

“The Coalition Government promised to protect the NHS, however, the Care Quality Commission has warned that one in ten hospitals are understaffed and we have seen 5,000 nursing posts lost in the NHS since they came to power – with 800 nursing posts being lost in the last month alone.

“It is therefore truly shameful that the Chancellor has taken £2.2billion from the Department for Health, at the same time as nurses are receiving P45s. That money should have been spent protecting frontline staff and services, not used as cover for the Government’s failing economic policies and a flatlining economy.

“I seriously question how such a large underspend has been achieved at a time when thousands of nursing posts are being lost – and would ask whether the Chancellor has applied pressure to the Department of Health in order to massage the borrowing figures, by getting it to cut spending or move it from one year to the next.”