NHS Annual Report and Care Objectives

Neil Carmichael Excerpts

Wednesday 4th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman should not keep shouting out. He has asked his question and had the answer. We will now move on.

[Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that one of the lasting achievements of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 will be the integration of health and social care, which will be excellent news for people recovering from strokes or meningitis?

[Mr Lansley]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Labour party completely ignores the fact that one of the central points is that the creation of health and wellbeing boards—I pay credit to my Liberal Democrat friends in the coalition for that—the involvement of democratic accountability and the opportunity to create joint strategies that integrate public health, social care and the NHS and impact additionally on the wider and social determinants of health will be absolutely instrumental in the improvement of services and health in future.