Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Mosley Excerpts

Tuesday 25th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North) (Con)]

1. What recent progress he has made in introducing GP commissioning consortia.

[Stephen Mosley (City of Chester) (Con)]

3. What recent progress he has made in introducing GP commissioning consortia.

[Nick de Bois (Enfield North) (Con)]

6. What recent progress he has made in introducing GP commissioning consortia.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Lansley]

I entirely understand my hon. Friend’s point. The PCT’s role is to support the development of consortia, not inhibit it. The operating framework that was published last month sets out the range of support that PCTs should be offering emerging consortia. Milton Keynes PCT has confirmed that it will actively support Premier MK, one of two consortia in the area, with its application to become a pathfinder, and that it is actively working with another consortium in the Milton Keynes area.

[Stephen Mosley]

Pathfinder consortia will play a crucial role in improving the NHS, so it is imperative that any problems are sorted out as quickly as possible. How does my right hon. Friend propose to help any pathfinder consortium that finds itself in the unfortunate position of failing to deliver the results expected of it?

[Mr Lansley]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. He will recall that before the election, the Select Committee on Health severely criticised the way in which primary care trusts were going about commissioning. We are looking to consortia because they are clinically led and responsive to patients in designing far better clinical services, and they will have considerable support in doing so. Over the next two years, we will enable them to develop support arrangements, whether through existing primary care trust teams, local authorities, the NHS commissioning board, or a range of voluntary and independent sector organisations.