THE NHS is not well.

The front page of the September 28 edition of the Advertiser highlighted failings picked up in our local hospitals by a recent Care Quality Commission report.

However, deeper in the pages of the paper was an article highlighting that many of our local hospitals’ staff had been shortlisted for national awards, with some from the so-called ‘underperforming’ departments. So, what has gone wrong?

An analysis of the report identifies three underlying themes: ageing buildings, more elderly frail people who are sicker, and problems with staff recruitment and retention.

These are all symptoms of the primary cause which is the Conservative government’s underfunding of the NHS. Real funding has failed to keep pace with rising demand and inflation costs.

Whilst our hospitals are getting older and more decrepit, nearly £4 billion has been moved from long-term NHS capital spending to shore up services. We do not spend enough compared to other advanced economies. The UK spends nine per cent of GDP on health compared to 11 per cent in France and Germany.

The Conservative government continues Labour’s lack of manpower planning. The UK has never trained enough staff for its own needs, so has had to rely on staff transfusions from abroad. Meanwhile, the Home Office has refused to issue visas to nonEU doctors that have been offered jobs in the NHS because they do not earn enough!

The impact of all this is seen on reported failings and A&E figures. In January 2018 A&E waiting time targets hit a record level: 15 per cent of patients were seen more than four hours after admission, compared to the target of five per cent, which has not been achieved since 2015.

We need better funding for decent care, paid by a 1p rise in income tax as suggested by the Liberal Democrats. We demand better for our NHS and communities.

Luigi Gregori, Charlton Road, Andover