Health

Fixing our health service

Our health service has dedicated doctors, nurses, carers and other professionals who work incredibly hard. The problem is that the system is not delivering quickly enough for patients.

Waiting lists for treatment and mental health services are simply not acceptable. With healthcare expenditure exceeding £400 million a year, we must make sure every pound is being used effectively.

The question Government must answer is simple:

If we have the same equipment and staff numbers as other health services, why are we not achieving comparable levels of productivity?

If we are not, we need to identify the root cause and fix it.

I will support:

• Reducing waiting times through better organisation and productivity.
• Greater accountability for performance.
• A single electronic patient record linking Noble’s Hospital and GP surgeries.
• Better preventative healthcare and healthier lifestyles. Improved access to dental care, particularly for children.
• Recruiting and retaining nurses, GPs and consultants.
• A stronger focus on mental health.
• Robust cost-benefit analysis for major healthcare spending decisions.
• Examining the New Zealand-style ACC model for treatment-related injury compensation.