• Lib Dems call for any fiscal rule changes to be used to build new hospitals amid under-threat projects
• Prison release error: Shocking news which needs “immediate action”
• McArthur reveals scale of prison self-harm as he marks 1,000 days since suicide strategy expired

Lib Dems call for any fiscal rule changes to be used to build new hospitals amid under-threat projects

The Liberal Democrats have written to the Health Secretary ahead of his speech at Labour Conference today calling on the government to use any changes to the fiscal rules which are reported to be being made at the Budget to be used to invest in the NHS and complete the building of the previously promised 40 new hospitals.

In the letter from the Party’s Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan she said that the “Conservatives were not honest with the public” in their failure to deliver these schemes but that “patients across the country will now be extremely concerned” that the Health Secretary looks set to cancel many of these new hospitals.

Helen Morgan also said that continuing the projects was “imperative” not only to improve patients care but also for boosting growth with infrastructure spending on major construction projects and that by not fixing the NHS you could not fix the economy.

She went on to say that the changes to the fiscal rules at the Budget, as mentioned in the Chancellor’s speech should “pave the way for the investment we desperately need in our hospitals” to improve patient care and boost growth.

It comes after the Health Secretary last week sent letters to MPs which would be impacted by the 40 new hospitals scheme to update them on their progress. A list of the projects within this scheme that were under review and potentially would not be completed was also produced showing that over half of the new hospitals could be axed under the new government.

The Liberal Democrats have said that it should be a matter of priority that all the projects should go ahead and that any changes to the fiscal rules at the Budget in October to increase capital investment should be used to invest in the NHS.

The Party also said that you cannot rebuild the economy without getting people off waiting lists and that without a “Budget for the NHS” with new investment, the NHS and patients will continue to suffer.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan MP said:

Patients have suffered with a broken health service for far too long after years of Conservative Party neglect. Too many are left waiting in pain and distress for treatment and with hospitals literally crumbling around them due to the Conservatives disgraceful mismanagement.

It is now up to the new government to rise to the greatest challenge facing our country, saving our NHS.

It is also clear that rebuilding the economy after years of Conservative economic vandalism can only happen by first fixing the NHS. That means boosting growth through investing in new hospitals being built and getting people off waiting lists.

That cannot be done without the upcoming Budget being a Budget for the NHS and any changes to the fiscal rules must be used to fix our crumbling hospitals and health services.

Prison release error: Shocking news which needs “immediate action”

Responding to the news that 37 prisoners were incorrectly released under the early release scheme, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Josh Babarinde MP said:

This is deeply shocking news. The public deserves immediate action so that all those who were mistakenly released from prison are swiftly returned, and to prevent this from happening again.

The Conservatives have neglected our criminal justice system, and now the chaos of their actions is showing.

Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to develop a plan to reduce reoffending and tackle the prison backlog without delay.

McArthur reveals scale of prison self-harm as he marks 1,000 days since suicide strategy expired

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur has today marked 1,000 days since the prison suicide strategy expired by unveiling research that shows that in the last three years there have been more than 2.300 self-harm incidents in Scottish prisons.

A freedom of information request submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats has revealed 2,341 incidents of self-harm in Scottish prisons, including more than 2,000 cutting incidents, more than 100 incidents of self-harm by overdose and more than 150 occasions of swallowing items.

On 31st December 2021, the Scottish Government’s 2016-2021 “Talk to Me” strategy, designed to prevent suicide in prisons, expired. Although ministers committed to a revised strategy by spring 2023 and then delayed it until October 2023, it has never been published.

Following a parliamentary question by Mr McArthur in the spring, the government confirmed it had only completed the first stage of a review for the new strategy.

Mr McArthur said:

Scotland locks up more of its population than anywhere else in Europe, remand levels are through the roof and rates of self-harm continue to rise.

This is bad for both prisoners and communities because overcrowding threatens staff safety and makes it harder to successfully rehabilitate people.

Scottish Liberal Democrats want a properly-funded justice system. To save lives and restore faith in the system, ministers must accelerate progress on this strategy, ensure it contains proper checks and balances and roll out mental health professionals across the prison estate.