Local MP Andrew Percy recently met with NHS East Yorkshire to discuss local health service issues. The MP met with the Karen Knapton, Chairman, and Ivan Ellul, Chief Executive of the NHS East Riding of Yorkshire at the Trust’s headquarters in Willerby.
Andrew Percy MP said, “It was great to meet with Karen and Ivan to discuss a number of local health related matters. We covered a broad range of subjects including the provision of NHS dentistry, care for the elderly and the upcoming move towards GP commissioning of health services.
The latter will see GP consortiums take over the commissioning of local health services such as mental health services, primary care and dentistry from the Primary Care Trust, NHS East Yorkshire. I broadly support these changes as it will bring GPs into commissioning more as well as provide patients with more choice over how and where they are cared for.
One of the biggest challenges facing the NHS here in East Yorkshire in the coming years is going to be the increasing ageing population. The East Riding has one of the fastest growing populations of over 65s and this will put considerable pressure on NHS resources.
Unlike the plans of the previous Government, the Coalition Government has pledged not to cut NHS spending and to actually increase it year on year. Whilst this is welcome, the pressure of an ageing population could easily outstrip these increases in funding from the Conservative/Lib Dem Government and so we need to get smarter about how we target resources.
Karen and Ivan assured me that there was much that could be done to address this challenge, including reducing management and administration costs further. I will certainly do all I can to ensure that our local NHS goes move from strength to strength.”