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 05 July 2008 04:25 BST

Liberal Democrats approve 'significant' NHS reforms

Saturday, 08 Mar 2008 20:28
Some good news for Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg
The Liberal Democrats have voted to adopt plans for a 'patient's contract' at their spring conference in Liverpool.

Delegates overwhelmingly voted to accept the measures which would transfer responsibility towards locally-elected health boards from central government.

Free healthcare for the elderly would be scrapped in England as it currently is in Scotland, while patients would have the right to receive private treatment if waiting times could not be met.

"The government's obsession with targets has distorted clinical priorities without giving specific rights to patients," Lib Dem health spokesperson Norman Lamb said.

"Entitling patients to be treated in a private hospital if their wait breached a defined period would provide a real incentive for local health boards to ensure that hospitals deliver that treatment on time."

The vote's successful passage will be good new for party leader Nick Clegg, who endured three frontbench resignations over an EU referendum in the week.

For this story in depth and more on health news visit politics.co.uk, also part of the Adfero news network.End of story


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