Kennedy outlines Liberal Democrat's plans for health

Liberal Democrats leader, Charles Kennedy, has delivered a speech, outlining his new health policy.

Speaking to Liberal Democrat activists at Westminister, Mr Kennedy said that the main priority of the policy was to get rid of 'hidden' waiting lists. The Lib Dem leader said that research conducted by his party has shown that some people are waiting up to a year for scans and tests. He claimed that the problem remained hidden because data is not collected on these waiting lists. He said: "The big problem with centrally imposed political targets is that what gets measured gets done. But as hospitals are forced to meet a target to reduce maximum waiting times, the result is other patients wait longer."

Mr Kennedy said that a Liberal Democrat government would make this issue "a very high priority indeed", adding: "It should be the policy of any party dedicated to our 'national health' to ensure that illnesses are diagnosed by the quickest route possible so that treatment can start soonest."

In his speech, Mr Kennedy also outlined plans to create a quality local NHS, which would not be forced to meet strict government targets.

He said: "The priority for rebuilding the health of the NHS, and rebuilding the health of the nation, is not a matter of resources alone. It means doing things differently. Labour's instinctive statism and targets are retarding the ability of NHS Trusts to deliver services tailored to meet local needs."

Mr Kennedy said that he recognised that government had to retain overall responsibility for setting the broad framework for the NHS, but said that it should not define national targets that create such "distortions".

He said that a Liberal Democrat government would slim down central government functions, abolish Strategic Health Authorities and reduce the number of bodies which inspect and monitor NHS organisation. He said: "Reformed, reinvigorated local government would have the mandate to determine health priorities: councillors identifying the health needs of local people and commissioning services that meet those needs."

The Liberal Democrat leader's other healthcare plans included: free personal care for the elderly; a recruitment boost and an improvement in the retention of healthcare staff and a preventive health agenda, including free eye and dental checks.

(KMcA/SP)