Oral Answers to Questions

Priti Patel Excerpts
Tuesday 26th February 2013

(11 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I am grateful to the Minister, but we have many questions to get through and the answers are sometimes just too long.

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel (Witham) (Con)
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12. What steps his Department is taking to increase the availability to patients of GPs and specialist health services.

Norman Lamb Portrait The Minister of State, Department of Health (Norman Lamb)
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The Department of Health is currently working with key partners to support the increase of training numbers in general practice. From 1 April, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for commissioning primary care medical services and specialised services. It will have a duty to commission those services in ways that improve quality and promote integrated care. Clinical commissioning groups will be responsible for commissioning most other services.

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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The Minister is aware of the need to increase health care provision in Witham town. Can he reassure me that the appalling financial legacy of Mid Essex primary care trust will not hold back proposals to provide much-needed health care in the town?