Lib Dems Call For Quality Healthcare, Close To Home

11.53.13am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 25th Jun 2004

"People are fed up with political leaders having a tug of war about choice. What patients really want is quality healthcare, closer to home", Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Paul Burstow MP said today.

Unveiling more details of the party's health policy to the NHS Confederation conference in Birmingham, Mr Burstow will say:

"All the parties are offering patients choice. The Liberal Democrats want to bring the debate back to what patients really want. Quality health services, closer to home. This means scrapping the political targets that stop frontline staff getting on with the job of treating patients. It means allowing local health services to meet the needs of their local population.

"People are fed up with political leaders having a tug of war about choice. What patients really want is quality healthcare, closer to home."

Mr Burstow will announce more details of Liberal Democrat health policies:

• Making the Department of Health a Department for Health - not just for the NHS. The Health Secretary would tackle the causes of ill health, not just try to treat the symptoms.

• A package of measures to improve people's health - a ban on smoking in public places, clearer food labelling

• Assessing all Government policies, including the budget, to make sure they do not have a negative impact on people's health

• Introducing free personal care

• Scrapping political targets and reducing inspection and interference in the NHS by reducing the number of NHS quangos

• Joining up health and other local services, like leisure services, so GPs could prescribe visits to the local swimming pool

• A better deal for people with long term conditions

• Giving people more choice of hospital and treatment, with the information and support they need to make choice a reality for all patients, not just the wealthy or the pushy and articulate