Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Rutley and Dan Poulter

Tuesday 10th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Dr Poulter]

We have had this discussion. A payments system that is almost 20 years out of date and is not funding patients according to clinical need or is not per head of population will not deliver good care. The payments system needs to be changed and NHS England is working with practices that are facing challenges to address those challenges and ensure that high-quality patient care can still be delivered locally.

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

T8. Following the recent speech by the new NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens about the important role of local hospitals, can my right hon. Friend confirm that district general hospitals such as Macclesfield will continue to play a vital role in delivering local health services in the years to come?

Care Bill [Lords]

Debate between David Rutley and Dan Poulter

Tuesday 11th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

With 11 areas identified as having challenges to the health economy, will the Minister give reassurances that proper checks and balances are in place so that the TSA powers will be used only in isolated, limited and exceptional circumstances?

[Dr Poulter]

That is absolutely the case. It is absolutely wrong to conflate the fact—as Opposition Members are trying to do—that from time to time even good hospitals occasionally run deficits with the TSA regime. This is a power of last resort; it is not a power that is routinely used. Local measures are in place to support hospitals to get their finances in order and to ensure that where there are care quality problems, they are addressed promptly to the benefit of patients.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Rutley and Dan Poulter

Tuesday 16th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

T5. Integrating health and social care is an especially important priority in areas with the fastest-ageing populations. With that in mind, do Ministers agree that it is vital to support joined-up initiatives such as Caring Together in north-east Cheshire, which involves the local clinical commissioning group, council and NHS trust?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr Daniel Poulter)]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight such initiatives. That was why the Government, as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, set up health and wellbeing boards, which bring together housing providers, the NHS, the third sector and social care locally so that they can look at how to improve and better integrate personalised care, especially for the frail elderly.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Rutley and Dan Poulter

Tuesday 16th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[Dr Poulter]

It certainly sounds as though there is a need for an accident and emergency department in Kettering. These are matters for the local commissioning boards to take forward, but it would be wrong for the hon. Gentleman or anyone else to say that as part of the Healthier Together programme there are any site-specific proposals that would in any way threaten Kettering accident and emergency department.

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.