Changes to health service budgets
The Petition of residents of the Hemsworth constituency,
Declares that the Petitioners are concerned about cuts to health service budgets in the local area, particularly the proposed £3.8 million cuts from budgets for GPs; further that these cuts will affect all Practices funded through a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract and will see £3.8 million lost from this area over a three year period, starting in April 2015; further that local GP surgeries are already struggling and these cuts could lead to small practices closing and job losses; and further that a local petition on this matter has been signed by 1,464 individuals.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to reconsider the proposal to make these cuts to health service budgets in the Hemsworth area.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Jon Trickett, Official Report, 25 February 2015; Vol. 593, c. 432.]
[P001438]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Health:
These are matters for the local NHS. This Government are committed to devolving decision-making about local NHS services to local clinicians and communities. GPs, clinicians, patients and local authorities are best placed to determine the nature of their NHS services.
The Government and NHS England remain committed to increasing additional resources into general practice as shown by the proposed investment of £100 million through the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund and £1 billion in supporting infrastructure development over the next four years. Practices income varies year on year depending on the number of patients registered, with each practice weighted by the average Global Sum payments as well as the level of enhanced services each practice chooses to provide. Resources released from one practice are re-invested back into general practice provision in the same immediate Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.
In the move toward co-commissioning of Primary Care Medical Services, it was agreed that Wakefield CCG would lead the Personal Medical Services (PMS) Review process in the Wakefield area. The CCG, the Local Medical Committee and other key stakeholders are working together to ensure that any proposed contractual changes and funding is aligned to Wakefield CCG’s strategic plan and local priorities including the health inequalities agenda. PMS practices will not see any changes to funding or contracts until October 2015.