There are so many All-Party Parliamentary Groups here that I could spend most of my time attending meetings on every subject imaginable. I have limited my involvement to a few groups that I consider important and potentially useful. 

I have just joined a new one to raise the profile of the effect of Pneumococcal diseases in the developing world. 
My membership of groups related to health issues has been largely focused on NHS issues. The effects of HIV/AIDS and TB in the developing world are well known but that Pneumococal diseases cause nearly 4 million child deaths per year and that many of these could be prevented by a readily available simple vaccine is not widely recognized. The Group plans to work with other organisations to encourage investment in vaccines and then a predictable supply and reliable delivery system to the children who need it.

I attended a seminar on the use of NHS resources and was staggered to learn that three eminent Primary Care Trust (PCT) executives speaking at the seminar did not appear to realize the savings that their own PCTs could make from acting on the Government's excellent document "NHS Better Care, Better Value Indicators". 

Two of these PCTs had potential savings of £2 million per year from the rational prescribing of statins alone ! 
I have already asked the Health Secretary how she plans to publicise this important paper and was amazed that while its value is recognized there does not appear to be the will or the mechanism to demand action on it. Congratulations to our own three PCTs (before the merger) as they were all performing well on this indicator.

Following the loss of the county's cytology services to Gloucester there have been rumours about the loss of other services but thank goodness these are not based on fact. 
However the threat from the Government's marketisation of the NHS is that if the local acute trust (the provider of a service) cannot provide the service at the cheapest and most efficient rate the PCT (the commissioning body) will give the contract to another provider. 

I intend to point out to the Government the effect this will have on the jobs and morale of local staff. The inevitable consequence is for provider trusts to drive down costs with the attendant risks of compromising quality.

Locally I have the assurances of the Chairman and the Chief Executive of the Acute Hospitals Trust that they are committed to increasing the work done at Kidderminster Hospital for the good of the whole county. This is confirmed by the opening this month of a seven-day ward for those who are not ready to go home on a Friday after their operations. Just as we have to travel to Worcester or Redditch for some hospital services so others must realize they have to come to Kidderminster for other services.