On Monday evening, Mark joined the Conservative Medical Society debate in London. Conservative have guaranteed to ring fence, in real terms, spending on the NHS should they form the next Government and this point was reinforced by Shadow Health Minister Mark Simmonds MP.
Mark went on to reinforce two further core principles of Conservative health policy: no reorganisations that are both disruptive and expensive, leading to confusion for patients and health workers; and an end to process based targets, opting for outcomes.
Also speaking was Conservative PPC for Central Suffolk and Ipswich North, Dr Daniel Poulter, Tom Black from pollsters Com Res, and the event was chaired by CMS Chairman Dr Paul Charlson
IN a constituency like Wyre Forest, where the current local MP is a single issue health specialist, the debate highlighted the importance of one aspect of political parties.
Whilst Dr Taylor MP is respected for his views on health, it is widely agreed that his views are very much from the point of view of his profession - that of a consultant at Kidderminster Hospital. What is also accepted is that his wider experience is limited and this means he has very limited resources to help his constituents outside his limited field of experience.
Yet an MP or candidate from a political party can look to the membership for a wide wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise. Not only has the Conservative Party a team dedicated to health, but there are 20 or so MPs and PPCs who have first hand experience of being doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical specialists, NHS managers and consultants and board members, and other health service practitioners. On top of that, the Conservative Medical Society has a significant membership of health professionals, all contributing to the debate and to the knowledge base of the Conservative Party. The same applies to the other major parties.
So for a Conservative MP or PPC standing in a seat, the party has the resource for nearly all eventualities faced. And that is why, at the end of the day, and over hundreds of years, politicians find that they can best serve their constituents by being members of political parties.
The picture shows Mark Garnier with shadow health minster Mark Simmonds and CMS chairman Dr Paul Charlson.