Stafford Hospital

Andrew Bridgen Excerpts

Thursday 4th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Lefroy]

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend, and I congratulate him on the huge amount of work that he has put into ensuring that Cannock Chase hospital can be better utilised.

The second part of co-operation involves community services. Instead of seeing acute hospitals as buildings into which people disappear and then re-emerge at some point, let us make them a full partner in community services. In fact, they should be a hub for those services. Stafford, Stoke and Cannock can be groundbreakers in this, and set an example to the rest of the country. In Stafford, we long for the chance to show the country that we provide the highest standards of care, and that we will never again let patients be treated in the shocking way that many experienced in the past.

[Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con)]

I thank my hon. Friend for giving way, and I commend him for bringing this issue to the Floor of the House. Does he agree that we have a national health service, and that any loss of services at Stafford could send out ripples that would affect services at Burton-on-Trent—also in Staffordshire, and also a hospital under some financial pressure that services a large proportion of the medical needs of my constituents in North West Leicestershire?

[Jeremy Lefroy]

As usual, my hon. Friend makes a powerful point—that this debate is not just about a relatively small district general hospital, because it will have ripple effects. We have a pretty efficient national health service, but it does run on tight margins, so that if we take one acute hospital out, it could have effects right across the whole region. Local clinical commissioning groups have a vital part to play, and I want to pay tribute to the good work they are doing in developing community services in Stafford.

The third element of co-operation comes from Monitor itself. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, Monitor now has responsibility for setting tariffs, including those for emergency and acute services. It would be rather strange if Monitor were to continue the programme introduced in 2009 of constant 4% year-on-year real cuts in tariffs, and then be forced to pick up the pieces of acute foundation trusts around the country that fall into deficit as a result of the tariff cuts it has made. Monitor has the chance to challenge the assumption that acute services can continue to squeeze out annual efficiencies—in some cases, and not just in Stafford—of up to 7% a year, while elective services enjoy a relative feast.

Monitor has the opportunity to ensure that the necessary changes to the provision of acute services are done in such a way that will allow acute services to continue to be provided locally. Monitor itself could become an excellent example of joined-up government, and in doing so carry out its legal requirement under section 62 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to promote the

“provision of health care services which…is economic, efficient and effective, and…maintains or improves the quality of the services.”

Finally, the national Government have a vital role to play in co-operation.