Health and Social Care Bill

Debate between Gordon Birtwistle and Rosie Cooper

Monday 31st January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley) (LD)]

I shall support the Bill, because it will mean an end to the disruption and devastation of local hospital services owing to overpaid, faceless bureaucrats in palatial offices many miles from people’s local hospitals deciding that a particular service is no longer needed or is better off elsewhere. The Bill’s local democratic legitimacy policy strives to ensure that decisions on serious hospital reconfigurations never again ride roughshod over the wishes of the local community.

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

When I asked the Secretary of State who would make the decision if the consortium and the health and wellbeing board disagreed on the reconfiguration of hospitals, he said the reconfiguration panel as it exists today—no difference.