Petitions
Wednesday 14 January 2009
Observations
Health
Health Care (Sunderland)
The Petition of residents of Sunderland and others,
Declares that they support their doctors in urging the Government to listen to local people and invest in every practice in their city to improve the health care of all patients in Sunderland, rather than in a small number of new practices which may benefit only a small percentage of the population.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Health to review and further invest in the funding of all NHS GP practices in Sunderland to ensure that health care improvements benefit the whole population.
And the Petitioners remain, etc. —[Presented by Bill Etherington , Official Report, 8 December 2008; Vol. 485, c. 380 .]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Health:
Although the Department of Health provides strategic leadership to the NHS and social care organisations in England, it is for local NHS organisations to plan, develop and improve services for local people. Therefore, any proposals for improvements to services are matters to be decided locally.
The Government is investing record amounts in GP services (an increase of over 50 per cent. since 2003-04) and there is a record number of GPs (19 per cent. more than in 1997). This investment has secured major improvements in access to services and in the quality of care for people with long-term conditions. Public satisfaction with GP services is generally high.
Health Services (Wycombe)
The Petition of over fourteen hundred readers of the Bucks Free Press newspaper,
Declares that the Prime Minister should honour his pledge to listen to newspaper campaigns and the voice of the people and order a review of changes to services at Wycombe Hospital.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Prime Minister to order such a review.
And the Petitioners remain, etc. —[Presented by Mr. Paul Goodman , Official Report, 17 December 2008; Vol. 485, c. 1201 .]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Health:
Although the Department of Health provides strategic leadership to the NHS and social care organisations in England, it is for local NHS organisations to plan, develop and improve services for local people. Therefore, any proposals for improvements to services are matters to be decided locally.
South Central Strategic Health Authority reports that in 2004, NHS organisations in mid and south Buckinghamshire consulted the local population about proposed changes to consolidate specialist services (known locally as Shaping Health Services). We understand that this led to improvements in the provision of trauma, planned care, women's and children's services.
Pharmacy Services (Gloucestershire)
The Petition of residents of Cotswold and others,
Declares that the Government has made proposals to change the way pharmacy services are provided in the community; further declares that if the proposals were implemented, the dispensaries at the Moore Health Centre in Bourton-on-the Water and Westwoods Surgery in Northleach would be forced to close; notes that the undersigned value the service currently provided.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Health to retain the dispensaries at the Moore Health Centre in Bourton-on-the-Water and Westwoods Surgery in Northleach.
And the Petitioners remain, etc. —[Presented by Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown , Official Report, 17 December 2008; Vol. 485, c. 1201 .]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Health:
The consultation on a number of proposals for legislative and structural reform to National Health Service pharmaceutical services arising from the White Paper Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths—delivering the future closed on 20 November 2008.
As part of this consultation, we put forward options for possible reform of GP dispensing arrangements on which we sought views. We are aware of the strength of the responses we received on the various options for amending the criteria for dispensing by doctors. We have taken into account the views expressed and have announced that there will be no change to the current arrangements on GPs dispensing medicines to their patients.
| Index | Home Page |