Tory parliamentary candidate for Enfield North, Nick de Bois, has admitted that the Prime Minister, David Cameron, has “utterly let down the constituents” of Enfield following the closure of Chase Farm Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department and maternity unit.
Speaking during a pre-election hustings last week on BBC Radio Five Live’s Breakfast Show, Mr de Bois was asked about the Tories’ decision to shut the frontline services at Chase Farm in 2013 – despite the explicit promises he and Mr Cameron made before the last election, back in 2010, to keep the A&E and maternity services open. “Then along comes my party leader and he said “(the downgrade of the hospital) won’t happen”, and of course that utterly let down the constituents”, Mr de Bois said.
His statement is a really significant intervention, just a week before the general election, as it reaffirms the damage that has been done to Enfield’s local health services under the Tories since 2010.
Joan Ryan, Labour candidate for Enfield North, said: “The Tory candidate is absolutely right. David Cameron completely let down Enfield over Chase Farm Hospital – so why should the people of Enfield vote for the Tories again?
“The Tories lied about their plans for Chase Farm before the last election and their plans for extreme budget cuts threatens the NHS as we know it.
“When I was Enfield North MP we kept Chase Farm’s A&E and maternity services open. If I am elected again on Thursday 7th May, I will fight to protect Chase Farm from any more cuts. My party, Labour – the party that created our NHS and saved it after 18 years of Tory neglect – will save it again. Our commitment to recruit more GPs and guarantee patients a GP appointment within 48 hours will ensure that our NHS has the time and resources to care for the residents of Enfield.”
Andy Burnham, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said: “Even the Tories are admitting that David Cameron let people down when he broke his promises on the NHS.
“David Cameron posed with a picture pledging to save the A&E at Chase Farm, then closed it. The promises he made when it was closed – of an urgent care centre and better GP services – have not been honoured.
“He cannot be trusted on the NHS. Labour will honour the promises given to people in Enfield.
“On David Cameron’s watch the NHS has descended in to crisis, with growing waiting times and staff shortages.
“After five years broken promises, working people cannot afford five more years of David Cameron.”