VIEWPOINT FOR 2 OCTOBER 2008
FROM DR RICHARD TAYLOR

For me, outside the main political party system, it has been especially interesting watching and reading about the party conferences this year with the financial crisis throwing down the gauntlet to the party in government forcing it to take decisive action and the main opposition party having to re-think its approach as doubts are thrown onto its assumed ascendency in the opinion polls. 
The next few weeks in London, after our ridiculously long time away from the House of Commons, will be fascinating as we see how the parties play their hands and whether the necessity of beating the financial crisis will actually lead to essential co-operation between the parties or whether point scoring, adversarial politics will continue even though it looks more and more unlikely that there will be a general election before 2010.
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On the Health Select Committee we await the government's response to our inquiry into the new dental contract, hated by most working NHS dentists and flawed according to the evidence we took for our report. 

We are due to complete a lengthy inquiry into health inequalities and we are all waiting for Professor Richards, the Cancer Czar's report on top-up fees. 

I will be interested to see details of Mr Brown's plans to cancel prescription charges for patients with cancer. 
I believe these charges should be scrapped altogether as they can never be made fair and if cancer patients are exempted what about organ transplant patients and those with other long term conditions for whom drug treatment is equally essential?
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I could only go to one Macmillan Coffee morning this year, at the police station where the cakes were superb, as I had a meeting with local business leaders where their concerns were discussed with representatives of the District and County Councils. 
One of their worries was that, like in the national arena, council functions may be deflected by political argument from their prime function of considering the best interests of our community.
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An impressive publicity reception hosted by the Army was well attended last week and the question of the immigration status of the Ghurkhas came up during the question session. 
I have had several letters expressing concern about this and news this week raises hopes that these veterans will be treated fairly.
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I enjoyed a visit to Areley Kings to open the new, state-of-the-art pharmacy there. It will make a big difference to local people and with the increasing complexity of drug treatment will provide an excellent local source for advice.
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Wyre Forest Talking Newspaper held their AGM last Saturday and has found a new permanent base so they can continue their valuable work providing audio tapes of current local news for those who have difficulty reading. Anyone wishing to receive this super service should contact the Secretary on 01562 751980.
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The new out-of hours GP service started yesterday, contact number: 0300 123 321 1. 

The providers are very keen that it will be an improvement on the previous service and I would like to hear of people's experiences, good or bad, so I can pass them on to the providers of this vital new service.

R.T.

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