SERIOUS FAILURES IN ISTCs MUST BE ADDRESSED URGENTLY - LAMB

12.01.00am GMT Thu 19th Jul 2007

Commenting on today's Healthcare Commission report into Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs), Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb MP said: "This long-delayed report begs more questions than it answers about the standards in Independent Sector Treatment Centres."

"The NHS must be able to operate on a level playing field with these centres but the Government has no real idea of how they are performing.

"If patients are supposed to be empowered in any way then, along with health authorities, they need to know about the quality of care provided by these centres. The large gaps in information about ISTCs performance represent a serious failure that must be addressed urgently.

"Patients need to know that recruitment standards are always rigorous - 'generally adequate' is simply not good enough.

"In some areas ISTCs have been foisted upon communities where they are not needed. This is the price paid for central imposition, disregarding of the needs of the local health service."

Norman Lamb has previously tabled Parliamentary Questions asking about the timing of this report's publication. After questioning, the then Health Minister Andy Burnham said the report was to be published at the end of June. Click on the links below to see these questions and answers (links to TheyWorkForYou.com).

Related Links:

Parliamentary Question on publication of ISTC report, Tuesday 24th April.

Follow up Parliamentary Question on publication of ISTC report, Tuesday 17th May.