Government to seek GP support
for more local involvement
in management of health services

13.07.2010  Following yesterday’s announcement that the Government would remove all existing administrative tiers of health management from the health service, abolishing the Strategic Health Authority and the PCT – local MP, Andrew George, will call upon local GPs to work with the local community in the future planning and shaping of hospitals and health services.

Mr George raised questions in the House of Commons yesterday questioning the Health Secretary – Rt. Hon Andrew Lansley MP – about the plans.

The Health Secretary told Mr George that he understood why Mr George would have been frustrated “by the way in which a top-down bureaucracy has sought to dictate to the people of Cornwall, often in specific localities, at a considerable distance from their hospital services, what services should be provided locally in places such as Hayle and Penzance. He and his constituents can be really comforted by the thought that their clinical advisers, General Practitioners in local consortiums can in future make those decisions about their services.”

Mr George said: “Although this is, itself, another top-down reorganisation, we must make sure that this gives the local community a real say. I will be urging local GPs to form a coalition with local community representatives. Together I hope that we can jointly plan how hospital, health, dental and mental services are planned for and provided.

“It is vital that there is a clear relationship between GPs, their patients and local services like West Cornwall Hospital and the community hospitals.”