MP raises hospital cuts at Lib Dem conference

Local MP Tim Farron spoke up for health services in Morecambe Bay during a debate at the Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference in Harrogate. Tim was speaking on his amendment to a policy motion about deficits in the NHS.

The motion called for Government action over the consequences of deficits in the NHS, and noted that the only democratic accountability in the NHS rests with the Secretary of State - who has been passing the blame onto local NHS trusts.

The original motion had highlighted the plight of cottage hospitals, which are closing in many areas of the country, but Tim's amendment expanded the motion to include services threatened at rural acute hospitals, like the Westmorland General in Kendal.

Speaking after the debate, Tim said: "I am glad that I was able to raise the issues facing our local hospitals at conference this weekend. We may have succeeded in keeping the majority of the cuts at bay for now, but we need to keep pressing in Westminster for proper democratic accountability for our health services."