“Use Serco demise to build integrated emergency care” – George

The MP who called for the out-of-hours GP contract to be withdrawn from private company Serco Health is calling upon local health managers to use the opportunity of the forthcoming termination of its contract to redesign urgent and emergency healthcare across Cornwall.

West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, who reported Serco to the Care Quality Commission last year, believes that out-of-hours GP services can be better integrated with in-hours GP surgeries, urgent care services, NHS 111, minor injuries units and the emergency department at Treliske when the contract is taken back by the NHS. The CQC found that the company had failed to meet a number of standards and falsified records which are used to assess their ability to meet targets. Serco received a critical report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee and Mr George called for their contract to be terminated.

Mr George said, “Health services will always be put at risk if profit is put before patient interests. When the last Labour Government started down the road of privatisation, tendering for health services, there was always a risk that this kind of situation would arise.

“Now we have the opportunity to put patients before profit and to bring services together so that all unplanned medical needs can be better integrated; from extreme blue light emergencies to health concerns which need clinical oversight before the GP surgery opens the following day.”

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