 |
 |
Dear friends of the NHS Following our packed meeting earlier this week we have been kept busy responding to all your suggestions made at the meeting and by email. Thanks! And now we have a breakthrough! Soon after we contacted Virgin Care about the delay in hearing from Peninsula we had an email from Peninsula's local chair who said, "I am sorry there has been a delay responding to you. Annual leave played a major role in the delay." The replies received (of which we include just two here) mean that there will be a delay (literally 'stop press'!) until we can publish the complete and up-to-date dossier. But we will! Meanwhile: "1. Virgin Care does not own or run the GP practices involved with Peninsula Health nor does Virgin Care have any say in how these practices operate. Peninsula Health is a partnership between some local GP practices and Virgin Care that jointly runs additional (non-GP) services in the community, ie services that are not traditionally offered by GPs. These services would historically have been provided in a hospital setting, but can now safely be delivered in a non-hospital setting. 2. In most cases the services provided by Peninsula Health are new or extended services delivered in several pre-existing community settings (such as GP practices or health centres) rather than one solitary location - such as the hospital. This is often cheaper, more accessible and more appropriate than providing these services in the local acute hospital which is where the savings are made. As these are additional services, there are no associated cuts." All of our questions and the replies from Peninsula and the CCG will be published as soon as possible. Best wishes on behalf of Defend Our NHS https://www.facebook.com/groups/defendournhs/ Twitter: @defendourNHS #defendourNHS