[Mr. Peter Atkinson in the Chair] — Health Care (Buckinghamshire)

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 10:27 am on 15 December 2009.

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Photo of Norman Lamb Norman Lamb Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health) 10:27, 15 December 2009

I congratulate Mrs. Gillan on securing this debate, and on getting a good turnout from her colleagues, who have all spoken passionately about the health needs of their county.

The hon. Lady spoke about the impact of 12 years of Labour rule in Buckinghamshire. However, to introduce a note of discord, we must remember that when the Conservatives left office in 1997, we were spending a third less than the European average on health, and the consequences were there for all to see. The problems about access to health care continued for some time, and when I arrived in Parliament four years later, my first debate in this Chamber was on orthopaedic waiting times in Norfolk. At that time-I am sure that it was similar in Buckinghamshire-people sometimes waited for three years to get to hospital for a hip or knee joint operation. The situation was not good in those days, and there was a strong case for increasing investment in the health service. If that investment had not happened, I have no doubt that the position in Buckinghamshire would be even worse than it is today. None the less, the hon. Lady pointed to some important issues about how funding is allocated around the country.

What the hon. Lady said about her experience and what her hon. Friends described reminded me of the situation in Norfolk-a rural county with quite an elderly population. The pressures and strains on the health service in such an environment are very real. The ambulance service not meeting its target for getting to emergency calls on time was one issue that the hon. Lady raised. Poor access to dental care was another example that she gave. The ever increasing number of emergency admissions to acute hospitals is causing enormous strain. Her hon. Friends also made the point that there was the sense of the whole system under intense strain, and that is a picture that I see in my county of Norfolk.