Tory leader David Cameron has paid a visit to West Suffolk Hospital and spoken out against cuts to the health service- although he said he could not promise to wipe out the hospital's debt.
Mr Cameron was accompanied by David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, who is campaigning to keep all departments of the hospital open.

Mr Cameron said people in the east were being hit hardest by the financial crisis in the NHS.

"It seems the eastern region is bearing the brunt of these cuts," he said. "I want to show my support for the hospital and show my opposition to the cuts that are taking place."

Mr Cameron said he wanted to transfer decision-making from politicians to healthcare specialists and to stop what he called 'endless re-organisations' of the NHS.

But he stopped short of promising to wipe out the huge deficit facing the service if elected.

"I can't make promises about waving a magic wand. It isn't just about money. Over the last decade money has been wasted, " he said.

"The health professionals are being asked to do contradictory things in a very short period of time- I want no more pointless re-organisations. I want to see local decisions."

Accident and Emergency housekeeper Peggy Brame told the Conservative leader she was worried the community would lose local expertise as a result of cutbacks.

"My biggest concern is about cuts in this hospital," Mrs Brame said. "This is a very important hospital in this community and we have expertise wherever you like to look."

The hospital's chief executive Chris Bown said he was pleased to have Mr Cameron's support, adding: "He is very supportive and I think the staff are very grateful. He was here to listen to people on the front line rather than to speak."

Mr Bown also spoke of the challenges faced by the hospital, which is looking at a £14.4 million debt by the end of the financial year.

"The historic debt has to be paid back by March 2008 and we have a big challenge to look at how we will do that," he said.

"We are spending taxpayers' money and we have to balance the books, but clinical services are a priority."