Local people's chance to comment on the NHS

6.33.14pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 24th Oct 2005

Local people have the chance to have their say on the NHS

A new campaigning website has been set up to give members of the public, NHS staff and patients a chance to help paint a true picture of the current state of the National Health Service

Commenting on the new website, Lib Dem Shadow Health Secretary, Steve Webb MP said; "Liberal Democrats believe in the National Health Service and we want to see it prosper. But this also means pointing out where Labour's reforms are harming the NHS. To help improve the NHS we need to hear from patients who have difficulty accessing treatment and from professionals prevented from providing the services the community needs.

"Currently, there are few outlets for people to tell their stories or expose issues that point to larger problems. The Government would rather these stories do not see the light of day. We disagree. http://www.LibDemNHSWatch.com will allow us to identify which NHS reforms are working and which are not, which targets distort clinical priorities and which issues those inside the 'Westminster bubble' really need to know about."

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Derby South, Cllr Lucy Care said; "When I conducted an NHS survey across Derby South earlier this year it was clear that the NHS was a top issue for many local people. I got well over 2,500 replies and people expressed concerns about, amongst other things, waiting times for treatment and the system for booking appointments with their GP. It was clear from that survey that a new website like this is going to be of interest to many patients and NHS staff in Derby".

Cllr Hilary Jones leader of the Lib Dem group on Derby City Council said; "I would urge all local people with concerns about the NHS to visit this site and relate their experiences, good or bad".