Date: 9th February 2006
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Ministers have agreed that the interests of low-income families must be taken into account in Government plans to offer patients a choice of five hospitals.

Questioned by Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner, who asked

“How can there be choice for patients on the Isle of Wight if there is no money to help them get to hospitals on the mainland? It is choice for the rich, but not for the poor”, Health Minister Jane Kennedy MP said,

“The difficulties of transport from the Isle if Wight would need to be taken into account and we are still developing the detail of the commissioning proposal and how the model will work. Those issues will face his constituents on low incomes—I am pleased to hear the hon. Gentleman champion them—and their interests will need to be taken into account so that they can achieve a real and genuine choice of services.”

Mr Turner was taking part in a debate in which the Government came under fire for again redrawing the boundaries of health bodies, including Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities – but he had praise for one of the options available for the Island, when he said,

“I want to congratulate her on recognising the Isle of Wight’s need for a unified PCT and health service trust, covering acute, ambulance, mental health and community services.”

He added afterwards,

“I believe in giving credit where credit is due, and it does look as if this Government has taken our particular circumstances into account in agreeing to what is called a vertically-integrated health solution – that is, one body for the Island. How much more sensible than an ambulance trust and a commissioning body, run from the mainland with a

separate but rather small hospital trust on the Island.

“But I am concerned that they still haven’t recognized the cost of cross-Solent travel to any but those families on income support, and I am pleased that the Minister realises the costs of travel have to be designed in. I will keep pressing to make sure that she does so.”

END

Contact: Andrew Turner 01983 530808

Follows: Extract from House of Commons Hansard, 7th February 2006:

Mr. Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) (Con): I am particularly grateful to the Minister for giving way because However, I wish to follow the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) by asking how can there be choice for patients on the Isle of Wight if there is no money to help them get to hospitals on the mainland. It is choice for the rich, but not for the poor.

Jane Kennedy (Minister of State for Health): That is an interesting point. The difficulties of transport from the Isle if Wight would need to be taken into account and we are still developing the detail of the commissioning proposal and how the model will work. Those issues will face his constituents on low incomes—I am pleased to hear the hon. Gentleman champion them—and their interests will need to be taken into account so that they can achieve a real and genuine choice of services.

Under practice-based commissioning, GPs and other primary care professionals—the clinicians in daily contact with patients—will be able to redesign services for their patients. All of this allows PCTs to concentrate on a more strategic role. The way we commission needs to be transformed if we are to deliver the next phase of reforms successfully. We need to make commissioning more professional and to learn from the best, and we need to encourage innovation. Above all, we need to make sure that patients have access to the right services in the right place at the right time.