Reforming the NHS

The NHS has been much in the news in recent days and I have received numerous letters and emails from local residents about our health service.
I want to make clear that I absolutely believe in an NHS that is free at the point of use for most treatments. Everyone deserves the best possible healthcare without having to worry about payment.
I have a walking disability, and, as a child, I spent a lot of time in Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. Were it not for that hospital I would now almost certainly not be able to walk and get about.
Nevertheless, however important it is to our lives, the NHS is not perfect and needs some reform.
The Government have promised that it will increase spending on the NHS in real-terms. I welcome that increase, especially as Labour planned to cut NHS spending.
The NHS is one of only two ring-fenced areas nationally, and the West Essex PCT will benefit from a £12 million increase in funding this year.
In order to make the NHS better, the Government are cutting bureaucracy and managers, spending the money instead on doctors and nurses. In recent months thousands of new doctors and nurses have been employed in the NHS.
I also believe that GPs should have more say over services, and that patients do need to have reasonable choice in where they are treated.
The responsibility that is being introduced for Essex Council to have a duty on public health is welcome, because they are often best-placed to deal with local communities.
There is some talk of contracting out services, but the last Labour Government enabled many private providers to do operations (e.g. Rivers Hospital outside Harlow was contracted by the NHS to do some operations privately).
The Health Secretary has made clear that:
1) No patient will pay for their treatment, if it is provided by the NHS.
2) Contracting out will only happen under very specific circumstances, where the quality is the same or better than the NHS service but the cost is lower.
These reforms will give local residents, the NHS that everyone deserves. Free, providing value for money and giving doctors and patients much more choice over their health care.
Robert Halfon

halfon4harlow@roberthalfon.com

www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

www.roberthalfon.com

www.twitter.com/halfon4harlowMP

www.Facebook.com/Robert H Halfon

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device