Patients to comment on their GP's performance on NHS website!

6.10.00pm GMT Fri 9th Jan 2009

The government continues with its determined campaign against local GP's by trying desperately to create competition in the health sector. It now suggests a website to rate whether a GP's service is good or bad!

The people of Mid Bedfordshire showed their view of the Government's earlier proposals to end GP dispensing in rural communities by sending letters of support for GP's to their local MPs Nadine Dorries and Alastair Burt. The proposals were sensationally dismissed in a Government U-turn in December, just before the Parliamentary Christmas recess.

Nick Clegg has made his own and the party's position on the health service clear - "I am calling for a people's health service which puts individuals in the driving seat of their own healthcare". Lib Dems believe in local control and patient participation in GP services, rather than central Government led interference that results from a complete lack of knowledge of rural health care needs.

We strongly support the proposal for a new health centre in Shefford which is patient focused, based on widespread local consultation and is designed to meet the needs of local people.

Your Lib Dems local health team will highlight the government proposals that do nothing for local rural healthcare needs and report them to you via regular reviews on this website. Where appropriate we will campaign against them where it becomes clear local Mid Beds rural health services will suffer harm.

Author: Paul A Gowers, on behalf of your local Lib Dems Health Team