NHS Commissioning Board

Chris Skidmore Excerpts
Tuesday 5th March 2013

(11 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Norman Lamb Portrait Norman Lamb
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When the hon. Lady talks about back-door privatisation of the NHS, I am not sure of her view of the previous Government’s commitment to spend £250 million on independent sector treatment centres, whether or not they undertook any operations. I am not sure that she agreed with it, but that is what her Government did. There will be no privatisation of the NHS, and the rules we introduce will make it absolutely clear that the power lies with clinical commissioning groups to use the tools available to them—co-operation and integration, but also competition where it drives up standards, just as her Government recommended.

Chris Skidmore Portrait Chris Skidmore (Kingswood) (Con)
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Last year, the right hon. Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) claimed that there were less than 72 hours to save the NHS. Yesterday, when referring on his Twitter feed to the regulations, he claimed that there were two weeks to save the NHS. Does not the Minister believe that in fewer than 140 characters, the right hon. Gentleman has shredded any credibility that he might once have had? [Interruption.]

Norman Lamb Portrait Norman Lamb
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I think my hon. Friend makes a valuable point. [Interruption.]