On the eve of the opening of a further 500 beds for COVID-19 patients at the Harrogate Nightingale Hospital, the Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems say that we should be cautious and look at the bigger picture.
Judith Rogerson Lib Dem Spokesperson commented:
I know everyone in Harrogate will be honoured to welcome Captain Tom Moore to town for the opening of our local Nightingale Hospital tomorrow.
His outstanding achievement raising so much money for the NHS has been a real morale boost for the whole country at this difficult time.
However, we can’t ignore the fact that significant fundraising is taking place to meet funding shortfalls in our much loved NHS.
I don’t for a second want to detract from Captain Tom’s achievement. But as well as recognising his heroic efforts, politicians everywhere should be considering how we can all work together to secure a better future for health and care services, so that our key workers will always have the resources that they need to look after us.
Cllr Pat Marsh added:
Captain Tom Moore’s heroic, epic fundraising efforts have shown that we all do value the NHS.
Just valuing is really not enough we must take a lead from Captain Moore and raise money for this precious, irreplaceable, service.
These horrific times have shown what what an irreplaceable service the NHS is, staffed by people who are fantastic.
We do need to ensure that all frontline/key workers can do their job safely with the right tools for the job.
Just as Captain Tom would not have been sent to the frontline without at least a helmet and a gun then our frontline staff have to be given the right tools in their fight against Coronavirus.
Hospital bed numbers have more than halved over the past 30 years, from around 299,000 in 1987/88 to under 141,000 now.
