Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP joined Manchester Central parliamentary candidate Lucy Powell in Manchester this morning (Monday).
They met ambulance staff, patients and community volunteers campaigning to stop the privatisation of Greater Manchester’s Patient Transport Service (PTS).
Lucy has branded plans for Arriva, the bus and rail company, to run a key section of Greater Manchester’s PTS as a disgrace.
The bus company will have the responsibility for taking a large proportion of patients in Greater Manchester to and from hospital after the Government awarded them the contract over a bid from the North West Ambulance Service.
Lucy Powell, Labour’s Manchester Central parliamentary candidate, said:
“This move is a disgrace. Despite the NHS bid winning on quality the contract has been awarded to a private bus company simply on cost. This will have a very damaging impact on the service quality. I will fight this decision.”