Government Minister Fails to Reassure Brake on Future of Better Healthcare Closer to Home

5.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 25th Oct 2005

Speaking during health questions today, Tom Brake MP for Carshalton and Wallington challenged the Health Minister, Jane Kennedy MP, to confirm that the 'Better Healthcare Closer to Home' proposals were still on track.

He asked the Minister to confirm who will be running the local care hospitals when the Primary Care Trusts start to secure services from a range of providers rather than being a provider of services themselves. These changes to the NHS are set out in a Department of Health document entitled 'Commissioning a Patient Led NHS', published on 28th July 2005.

Mr Brake said, "The Minister had no answers. The fact is now nobody knows who will be running the local care hospitals central to the 'Better Healthcare Closer to Home' proposals. It could be a private company, a consortia of GPS or even the local Council. Or it might still be the PCT. Nor was the Minister able to provide any reassurances for staff within the NHS about who their employer might be in future. The uncertainty this has created for staff both in the local Sutton and Merton PCT and also the Epsom and St Helier Trust is most unwelcome."