James Cunningham

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COVENTRY MP TO PRESS CITY HEALTH CHIEFS

JIM Cunningham is to press Coventry health bosses on a range of issues at a meeting this Friday.

The Coventry South MP will raise concerns with Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust over:

• Changes to blood testing in the community
• The loss of a post natal support group at a city clinic and
• Concerns about GP surgeries and service across Coventry.

Mr Cunningham will meet Mike Attwood, joint chief executive of Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust, to discuss the issues on Friday afternoon.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Cunningham said: “The quality of health care is hugely important and I’ll be looking for answers when I meet with the Primary Care Trust on Friday.

“The scrapping of local blood clinics has caused much concern, from people have to travel some way to have tests, to staff who have struggled to deal with lengthy waiting times.

“There are also concerns about GP practices which have Personal Medical Services contracts and I’ll be seeking clarification from the trust about that.”

Mr Cunningham said the Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust move to scrap local blood clinics and insist everyone travel to the city centre-based University Hospital, Walsgrave, and Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital goes against current Government policy.

“The NHS reforms seek to shift services out of hospitals and into the community,” he said.

“But in Coventry at the moment we have a situation where the opposite appears to happening. People are understandably concerned about this which is why I’ll be looking to get the bottom of the matter on Friday.”