Andrew Lansley, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, answers our selection of the questions that you asked here.
a-tracy: What do you suggest should happen in the future to doctors surgery hours, in order to facilitate improved service for workers and do you support forward bookings for non-emergency appointments to help with time off from work planning? or do you feel that opening from 0830 to 1700 with limited appointments over lunch periods Monday to Friday was a successful contract negotiation?
We do not want to micro-manage GPs by prescribing in detail their opening hours. Access and opening hours should be determined by GPs in response to their patients’ needs and choices. We will ensure there are no barriers to the opening of new surgeries, and would reward GPs who choose to deliver services in deprived areas. Patients should have greater scope to choose their GP and to exercise choice through their GP as budget-holder for their care.
Kate Bollinger: A lot of candidates campaign against the closure or transferral of services at big hospitals. Does this sometimes go against the party's decentralising principles?
No, on the contrary, giving patients and the public a real voice over the provision of local health services is at the heart of the party’s decentralising principles. If brought forward in legislation, our NHS Autonomy and Accountability White Paper would strengthen patient and public engagement through LINKs and ‘HealthWatch’ – a new national consumer voice for patients to impact upon policy-making and decision-making.
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