Council to lobby Whitehall for better primary care but not second hospital
Labour votes defeat Conservative amendment and pass Labour's motion on improving primary care
Health ministers in the government will be lobbied by top councillors at officers in Swindon for an improvement to the town’s primary health care network.
But they will not be asked to start thinking about the provision of a second hospital for the town.
Leader of the Labour administration Councillor Jim Robbins proposed a motion to full council which said public satisfaction with NHS services had dropped to an all-time low of 21 per cent.
It said the government has pledged £29 billion in extra funding but that “local residents are facing longer waits for GP appointments and emergency care, and many patient voices report difficulty accessing primary care, consistent with national trends.”
Primary care includes GP and NHS dental services and specialist services such as mental health services and clinics for specific issues.
The motion called for a thorough review by the council working with residents, GPs and other partners to see how Swindon performs against nearby councils and its statistical neighbours.
And that will be used in a lobbying strategy to try and attract as much government funding to Swindon as possible.
Cllr Robbins said: “There is an urgent need for more access to primary care. We need to give ourselves a really clear evidence base for what we want.”
The motion was seconded by Councillor Marianne Le Coyte Grinney a psychotherapist who works with the NHS in her day job.
She said: ”Primary care makes a difference between staying well and ending up needing much more care.”
The leader of the Conservative group, Councillor Gary Sumner introduced an amendment to the motion which would have added a stipulation that the council should also start lobbying Whitehall for it to provide a second general hospital for the borough.
He said: “This will take a long time, so we need to start now, and we need to get companies like Zurich and Nationwide on board.”
It was backed by Councillor Lawrence Elliott who said: “The important issue is can people get an appointment or treatment, and all too often the answer is no.”
He said that the pressure on GPs meant that people presented themselves at the Great Western Hospital A&E department, adding to pressure on the hospital.
But Labour opposed the amendment.
Cllr Marianne Le Coyte Grinney said: “A second hospital will not solve problems in primary care.”
The Conservative amendment, described as “populist” by Cllr Robbins was defeated and the original motion passed by Labour councillors.