City’s GPs are ‘worst funded in UK’ claim

Mar 8 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

MERSEYSIDE’S health services have been underfunded by £684m over the past five years, new figures reveal today.

Liverpool Primary Care Trust (PCT), which commissions the city’s GP services, was the worst funded trust in the country with a shortfall of £312m compared to what it should have received under the government’s own guideline formula.

Last night Dr Rob Barnett, chairman of the Liverpool Medical Committee, which represents GPs, said the region had “never received adequate resources”.

Knowsley was also badly hit, losing out on £144m, while Wirral lost £69m, Sefton almost £26m and Halton and St Helens £131m.

Liverpool PCT last night admitted levels were still 3% below the funding target but said it had still enjoyed a 25% increase in funding in real terms over the past three years (£149m).

In 2008/09 the PCT will receive £847m in funding, up £44m from this year.

The deficit figures were uncovered by the Liberal Democrats as the party prepared to debate proposals to set up an independent commission to allocate health funding.

The party’s Spring conference in Liverpool will also debate plans to localise health services through elected health boards.

Dr Barnett said: “It would be wrong for me to say that patients have not had the services they required when referred to hospitals.

“But having additional resources would have enabled us to have more people on the ground, being able to spend longer with patients and deliver better care.

“The only way of improving things is to move health care away from direct ministerial control and into an arm’s length organisation, as Gordon Brown did with the Bank of England.”

Liverpool PCT insisted that it did not feel “short-changed” and was investing millions in improving health care in the city. Last night chairman of the PCT, Gideon Ben-Tovim, said: “We have a really unique opportunity given the investment we have had to improve health and services in the city to reduce inequalities.”

A DEPARTMENT of Health spokesperson did not dispute the Lib-Dem figures but said the position was still an improved one.

He said: “Good progress has been made in improving the position of under-target PCTs.

“Some trusts used to be as much as 20% below target, now the maximum is 3.5%. The independent body that advises the Government in NHS funding allocations (ACRA) is currently reviewing the funding formula for the years 2009/11.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb said he wanted to set up an independent funding and advisory commission, which would prioritise tackling inequalities.

“This would ensure that the amount of money allocated to local health Trusts could never be influenced by the Government for political purposes.”

Today’s health debate will also include plans to open private treatment to patients if waiting times are not met, introduce a care guarantee with £2bn personal payments for the elderly, and directly elected health boards instead of primary care trusts.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: “The time has come for a people’s health service placing individuals firmly in control of their own healthcare.

“I want local people to put themselves up for election to local health boards so they are able to set the priorities that their communities need most.”

Liverpool councillor Richard Kemp, who represents the Lib-Dems at the Local Government Association, will propose an amendment to the resolution calling for directly elected health trusts.

His amendment will call for one third of the membership of PCTs to come from councils and give local authorities increased control of scrutiny and commissioning of the services provided locally.

In today’s debate he will say: “It is an outrage that there is only one politician in the whole country, the Secretary of State for Health, who can be called to account for problems in the health service.

“PCTs are remote, unelected and unaccountable bodies which have no local mandate.”

“This resolution will replace the quangocrats with elected representatives but will make no change to the operation structures of the PCTs.

“Localising decision making will reduce bureaucracy and promote targets and actions which meets the needs of local people and communities and not the remote bowler hatted bureaucrats in Whitehall.”

OPINION: PAGE 6

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