Oral Answers to Questions

Tim Farron Excerpts

Tuesday 25th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lansley]

I find it astonishing that the hon. Lady should attack the NHS because some elective operations have been cancelled. We have been through a flu outbreak and very severe weather, and that is what happens as a consequence. She should not try to make a political point out of it.

It is also astonishing that the hon. Lady gets up and says that she does not agree with our policy. On 3 December, she is quoted in GP news as saying that

“it is ‘absolutely right’ that GPs are ‘better involved’ in commissioning services.”

She supported it. The truth is that before the election the Labour Government instituted practice-based commissioning, introduced foundation trusts, started payment by results and said that patient choice was right. The shadow Secretary of State said just last week that

“these plans”—

our plans—

“are consistent, coherent and comprehensive”,

and indeed they are.

[Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)]

Cumbria’s current health commissioners—the PCT—chose to scrap the heart unit at Westmorland general hospital, despite medical, clinical and public opposition. Will the Secretary of State confirm that new GP fundholding arrangements allows the possibility of returning services that are clinically supportable, such as a heart unit at Westmorland general?

[Mr Lansley]

I know, not least from visiting that hospital, how strongly people in my hon. Friend’s area feel about their access to services locally. I am pleased to say that he will see in the Bill that one of the duties of the NHS commissioning board is to reduce inequalities in access to health services, and GPs can do precisely that.