“It’s admirable that the Newcastle Bridges group of GPs has been so pro-active in attempting to shape this new policy of commissioning health services. I will of course work closely with them to ensure that they receive the best possible support for the work they carry out with patients across my constituency. I am looking forward to meeting with the new consortium soon to ensure that I can help to address any concerns they have about the new arrangements.

“However, today’s announcement does absolutely nothing to take away from the fact that the Coalition are rushing through really profound changes to our NHS – spending up to £3billion on a restructure at a time when funding is being cut across public services, and at a time when the service provided by the NHS has been vastly improved thanks to a decade of investment and support from Labour.“

“I will continue to campaign to ensure that the North East receives its fair share of funding to address the health inequalities that exist in our region, and that people in David Cameron’s constituency of
Witney, where people currently live longer healthier lives, don’t end up with a bigger slice of the funding pie as a result of the Coalition’s reforms.”