Lib Dems seek local people's experience of the NHS

12.00.00am GMT Mon 24th Jan 2005

Liberal Democrats in Derby South are conducting an NHS inquiry to find out about local people's experiences of the NHS.

Cllr Lucy Care, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Derby South is chairing the Lib Dems inquiry into NHS services in Derby. She said:

"Most people rely on the National Health Service to meet their healthcare needs and here in Derby there are serious concerns about the state of some services. For example, Derby has fewer GPs per head than the national average and the level of NHS dental registration is very uneven across the city. Using this survey, we hope to find out whether or not local people's experiences of the NHS is a good reflection of the bald statistics."

Derby South Liberal Democrats have already delivered about 30,000 surveys to households across the constituency with a further 10,000 to go out. Surveys are flooding back in with nearly 2000 already returned. A report giving the main findings of the inquiry will be published later this year.

Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy recently delivered a keynote speech on the NHS in which he outlined the Lib Dems' key priorities for the NHS. These included reducing Whitehall bureaucracy and targets, re-introducing free eye and dental checks and bringing in free personal care for the elderly.

Derby South is covered by the Central Derby and Greater Derby Primary Care Trusts. Figures for 2003 showed that in both the Central Derby and Greater Derby PCTs there were 49 GPs per 100,000 of the population, compared to the English average of 52 GPs per 100,000 of the population.

The English average for NHS dental registration is 47.6%. Dental registration in Central Derby PCT is very high at 83.7%. In Greater Derby PCT however registration is significantly below average at only 41.6%.