Southwark Council Health Chief congratulates local health service

1.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Oct 2006

Southwark Council's Health Chief has welcomed the news that local hospitals and primary care providers have been assessed as providing good quality of care in the latest figures release today by the Health Care Commission.

"I warmly congratulate local hospitals and the Primary Care Trust for the good ratings they have received, particularly in the services provided to patients by local hospitals," said Cllr Denise Capstick, Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Health and Adult Care.

"Whilst financial prudence is very important, the quality of service to patients comes first and in this area, local hospitals are doing very well indeed."

"But the cuts that are currently being enforced on local hospitals by the Government can only be to the detriment of the quality of services being provided to patients. We are campaign strongly to ensure that the Government changes its mind on these cuts."

"The local primary care trust has been assessed as providing a fair service in a challenging area with many health inequalities. There is very good prevention work going on at the moment and there are more plans for the future. The cuts being forced on the Primary Care Trust are likely to hit this type of prevention and outreach work first."