Health Minister Norman Lamb addressed over 50 local residents last night at a public meeting organised by local MP Lynne Featherstone.

Norman Lamb MP spoke about his work in the Department of Health to:

•  Introduce set waiting times for mental health conditions
• Commit £1.25 billion towards children’s mental health service
• Introduce the first ever cap on social care costs to protect people in old age

The Minister for Care and Support then took questions from the audience – and addressed concerns about private providers and NHS funding.

The rate of NHS privatisation has slowed drastically under the Coalition Government. In the last four years of Labour’s Government, 4.4% of the NHS was contracted out to private providers.

The Liberal Democrats are the only party who have pledged an extra £8 billion a year for our NHS by 2020, in line with what the Chief Executive of NHS England says is needed.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“All of us are really proud of our NHS – and we have all benefitted from it at some point in our lives, and it absolutely must stay free at the point of delivery.

“To ensure this, the NHS needs funding. That’s why the NHS budget was exempt from cuts during this parliament, and why the Lib Dems have pledged an extra £8 billion in funding if we’re back in Government.

“It was great to have Norman here to talk about the work he’s doing on integrated care, mental health, social care and more. I hope residents enjoyed the opportunity to ask him questions directly.”