It’s what they don’t say
The Labour party has published its manifesto for the Assembly election on 5 May. It is full of all sorts of promises and also lots about what they say they have achieved in government in Wales.
As you would expect they are accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative.
Take for example their claims on health.
They say they have ensured faster treatment for cancer patients and improved survival rates/ What they don't mention is that they have completely failed to meet their own key targets in this area – the target for 95% of urgent patients to be seen by a specialist within 62 days has not met since June 2008.
Improved access to GPS surgeries is another claim – but the majority of patients, certainly in RCT, would beg to differ. There is a desperate and growing shortage of GPs, surgeries are closing and the amalgamation of some means that patients are having to travel further and wait longer to see a doctor.
They boast of spending £172 more per person on health and social services in Wales than in England and say they will continue to invest in health. Yet this is not having the desired effect. Waiting times for all manner of health services are worse here than in England and the Assembly's Finance Committee recently reported that they hadn't seen enough evidence to show that the proposed increase in health spending of £245 million would lead to reform and service improvements. Instead they expressed concern that the money will continue to fund inefficient practices and compensate for overspends.
So is it a case of them trying to fool the people of Wales to yet again put them in the driving seat? Or do they really have their heads buried that far in the sand?
