NHS White Paper

Jason McCartney Excerpts
Monday 12th July 2010

(13 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Lansley Portrait Mr Lansley
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At the risk of repetition, let me say that GPs will be accountable to patients, who will exercise more control and choice. They will be accountable to the NHS commissioning board, which will hold their contracts, for financial control and for their performance, through the quality and outcomes framework. They will be accountable to their local authority for their strategy and for the co-ordination of public health services and social care.

Jason McCartney Portrait Jason McCartney (Colne Valley) (Con)
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Thousands of patients in my constituency are desperate for specialist maternity care to be returned to Huddersfield royal infirmary, which was downgraded under the previous Government. Does the White Paper make the return of consultant-led maternity services to Huddersfield more likely?

Lord Lansley Portrait Mr Lansley
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The White Paper will enable GPs in an area, plus their local public and their local authority, to make decisions about the shape of services rather than its being done by ministerial diktat.