"STATISTICAL ERROR MAY CHEAT KINGSTON OF NHS CASH" - MP Davey writes to Minister over allegations of a major error in Government’s NHS plan on Kingston’s GP numbers A statistical error may be reducing the cash Kingston’s NHS receives from the Government, according to local MP, Edward Davey MP. Out-of-date figures used in the Government’s new NHS Plan appear to underestimate the number of GPs needed in Kingston & Richmond Health Authority’s area, thereby reducing the NHS cash allocations the Borough receives. The Liberal Democrat MP has written to the Health Minister, Alan Milburn, demanding an explanation. Mr Davey received warning of the error in the Plan earlier last week. Mr Davey was sent a copy of a letter from the Chairman of the Medical Practices Committee addressed to the Minister for Health highlighting the Government’s mistake. The Government are proposing to abolish the Medical Practice Committees but have been accused of using inaccurate data to argue their case. Edward Davey is concerned that such mistakes are being used to justify falsely a reallocation of resources away from areas like Kingston. The local MP has written urgently to the Health Minister asking for an immediate inquiry into the matter. Commenting, Mr Davey said, "This is a dispute about facts, and it seems the Minister has got it wrong. If so, this is a serious error since the NHS Plan will be used to direct NHS cash to different areas of the country. "If the NHS plan has underestimated the GPs we require locally, the resources Kingston’s NHS receives from Government could be much lower than we need. "As a result, I have asked the Minister to check this disputed data as a matter of urgency. We must ensure our Health Authority receives the funding and resources that are our fair share." |
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