THURROCK Conservatives have rubbished claims made in a generic press release sent out by Thurrock Labour.
Conservative Health spokesman Cllr Shane Hebb said “I was surprised to see Thurrock Labour have finally realised GP opening hours are inconvenient for many people, and evening/weekend opening hours are popular. These services were widely available until Labour changed the GP contract in 2004 – since then 90% of GPs have opted out.
“The reality is that Labour boosted the pay of most doctors whilst reducing patient care. The Public Accounts Committee has even recognised that productivity of hospital consultants fell, with a majority of doctors receiving bonuses that were meant to be reserved for exceptional performance. Many doctors are on six-figure salaries, including extra for working at weekends – but in some hospitals you are 40% more likely to die if you’re admitted at the weekend.
“The last Labour Government made a mess of doctor contracts and hours, costs ballooned but the quality of treatment has not improved in the way expected. Despite this bout of Labour amnesia, it’s a Conservative Government sorting out their mess.”
More of a fact than a claim I think