“The rise in National Insurance announced by Labour will rob NHS Fife of £ 2.98 million as frontline services are hit to bankroll the Treasury.” said Rod Campbell of North East Fife SNP.

“The £44 million tax bill for 2011 is equal to the pay of over 2000
nurses across Scotland’s hospitals. In Fife that would equate to the loss of 153 nurse’s salaries.

 

“This is totally unacceptable and exposes Labour’s promise to protect frontline services as a pre-election con.” said an angry Rod Campbell.

 “Fife NHS is paying the price for Brown and Darling’s bankrupt Britain.”

In contrast the SNP Government has protected the NHS budget for the
coming year as the party prioritised frontline services.

SNP MSP and Health Committee member Michael Matheson said Gordon Brown
was robbing Scotland’s health service to pay for his economic
mismanagement.

“This is a straight cut to Scotland’s health service.

“Far from protecting health spending Gordon Brown has imposed a £44
million cut on Scotland’s NHS.

“Scotland’s health service is being robbed to pay for Gordon Brown’s
economic mismanagement.

“The National Insurance rise will take £44 million out of Scotland’s
health service, money that could fund over 2000 nurses.

  

“Scotland’s NHS is already set to feel the heat of the UK’s spending
squeeze now Labour have used sleight of hand to cut a further £44
million from Scotland’s budget."

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Notes: The average salary range for a nurse is between £17,600 and
£21,325. Based on a salary of 19,500 £44 million is equivalent to 2256 nurses.

 

The draft budget for NHS Fife for 2010-11 is £503.6 million. This represents 6.8% of the budget for NHS Scotland in the same period. Based on an average salary of £19,500 this equates to 153 nurses across Fife.

www.nefsnp.org