Burstow holds Sutton healthcare debate

9.00.00pm GMT Mon 17th Nov 2008

Health care provision in Sutton was debated last night in the House of Commons as MP for Sutton and Cheam Paul Burstow sought to put pressure on the government to invest in a new state of the art patient block at St Helier hospital.

In Mondays adjournment debate, where an MP is able to choose the subject they want discussed, Paul Burstow MP, with Tom Brake MP for Carshalton and Wallington, set out his major concerns about the quality and accessibility of primary, acute and mental health care in the London Borough of Sutton.

In particular he called for a quick decision regarding the funding for the new patient block at St. Helier. Health Minister Ben Bradshaw replied that the proposals would hopefully be approved by the end of January 2009 so that by 2016 the first phase of the site redevelopment would be finished along with the St. Helier local care centre.

Mr Burstow also highlighted the shortage of GPs in the Worcester Park area of his constituency. He called on the Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust (PCT) to guarantee equal access for Worcester Park residents to GP surgeries. Mr Bradshaw responded with a promise to take this up with the PCT while also urging Mr Burstow to continue pressuring the Trust on this issue.

The debate reflected Paul Burstow's sense of frustration and cautious optimism surrounding these issues:

"Too much time, energy and money has been absorbed getting to this point, but we are here at last. Millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been spent over the last decade with nothing to show for it except endless minutes of meetings, reams of paper and huge consultancy bills.

"Much now hangs on an early green light for the outline business case for St. Helier and for 'Better Healthcare Closer to Home'. It is these proposals that can and should be approved so that at long last my constituents can receive the standard of care they deserve but have so far been denied."

Notes to Editors:

For the full text of the debate see:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081117/debtext/81117-0016.htm#column_99

Mr Burstow also raised concerns about:

The future governance of Epsom and St Helier trust - in particular expressing his support for the de-merging of the trust so that the two new trusts - one for Sutton and Merton, the other for north Surrey - could be more specific about meeting the needs of their respective populations rather than attempting to cover both.

The re-organisation of mental health services - this has left services in Sutton suffering from a lack of investment. Mr Burstow registered his opposition to the plans for cutting the number of beds in the Chiltern wing on the Sutton hospital site. Mr Burstow would like consideration to be given to the possibility of placing mental health beds on the St Helier site, albeit separate to other units.

The future of the Sutton hospital site - Mr Burstow called on the Minister to ensure that his constituents would have a say in the use of the site. He also urged that the opportunity to develop cancer services along with the Royal Marsden and Institute of Cancer Research should not be missed.