Oral Answers to Questions

Claire Perry Excerpts

Tuesday 12th June 2012 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)]

1. What progress clinical commissioning groups have made in improving care for patients.

[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

17. What progress clinical commissioning groups have made in improving care for patients.

[The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Andrew Lansley)]

This year, developing CCGs have delegated responsibility for more than £30 billion of local commissioning. Clinical leadership is using NHS resources more effectively, as part of improvements in care. In particular, we are seeing many improvements in community-based services—for example, a pulmonary exercise programme in Durham; a community spinal service in Reading; and a new musculoskeletal service in the Vale of York CCG.

[Claire Perry]

I thank the Secretary of State for that reply. During the Easter recess, I helped to organise a number of health question times in my constituency, where we brought together the commissioning groups, doctors, people from acute hospitals and hundreds of interested constituents to talk about how we would improve local health care. The good news was that doctors and clinicians—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Let us just have a quick question and then we will move on.

[Claire Perry]

Will the Secretary of State help by telling me how we can communicate out this example so that other MPs can repeat this valuable exercise?

[Mr Lansley]

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for demonstrating how these new developing relationships that CCGs and local authorities are creating with NHS providers and care providers are delivering improvements in care for the constituents we all represent. I urge other hon. Members to follow her example in stimulating exactly those relationships.