No answer on reality of consultation from health quango

3.01.04pm GMT Thu 24th Nov 2005

David Howarth, MP for Cambridge, asked Cambridge City Primary Care Trust whether they would take any notice of what was said in their own consultation.

David complained that the Young People's Service, which is under threat, had already been told to refuse to accept new patients on to its waiting list even though the consultation doesn't end for another two months.

The PCT had no answer. Tim Bryson, representing Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Trust, replied that they were just facing reality.

Commenting on this, David said:

"It is clear from this that the outcome of the consultation has already been preordained and the decision to close the Young People's Service has already been taken."

David questioned the PCT and Mental Health Trust during the Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Patient and Public Involvement Forum to discuss "Cambridge City Health Services: Cuts in Spending (Mental Health and Other Services)".

Following the statement by the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, to David Howarth that the Department would investigate how they calculate mental health need, David asked the PCT whether they had made any representations to the Department of Health over how the mental health index discriminates unfairly against Cambridge.

Commenting on the PCT's response, David said:

"It seems crazy that the PCT has not been speaking to the Department of Health about this. The index discriminates against Cambridge and the local PCT should be arguing for it to be changed."