Video: Health secretary
opens new health centre

by Adam Williams

Health secretary Andrew Lansley
praised a Whitstable medical centre as the future of healthcare
during a visit to the town on Thursday.

Despite spiralling budgets and the
government’s imminent comprehensive spending review, Mr Lansley
hailed the Estuary View Medical Centre as a symbol for a more
efficient, patient-led NHS.

He said: "There’s no hiding that
since the coalition government came to power, demand for services
has gone up, but we’ve always said the sick and vulnerable
shouldn’t pay for the country’s deficit.

"If the NHS responds as we hope, by
looking constantly at how we can use innovation and efficiencies
within the money available, we will be able to respond to that
demand.

"Looking at this practice, you can
see how the approach we’re taking to strip out tiers of management,
cut management costs and put leadership in the hands of clinicians,
is at the heart of using resources more effectively.

"It’s not about cutting the budget,
but using a rising budget and using it more effectively."

The secretary of state helped
officially open the Estuary View Medical Centre, next door to the
Gazette’s own offices, with its senior and executive partner, Dr
John Ribchester.

Estuary View houses six GPs, up to
three GP registrars nurses, administration and management staff.
Services include a day surgery suite, out-patient clinics,
diagnostic facilities and minor injuries unit. An NHS community
pharmacy, ambulance response station, IT and telephone services for
the South East Health out-of-hours helpdesk and a team of
physiotherapists have also taken up floor space in the
building.

Hear more from the
Secretary of State in next week's Whitstable Gazette.