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Responding to Dr. Stephen Ladyman's denial in Health Questions today that there is a crisis in chiropody care for elderly patients, Shadow Health Minister John Baron said in Parliament:
"On many previous occasions we have raised our concerns that many elderly people are being denied essential NHS footcare, but the Government continues to ignore this issue."
"Therefore I raise with the Minister the case of an 82 year old lady who is partially sighted and almost deaf, suffers from angina and emphysema, has suffered three strokes, and is unable to bend and attend her feet. And yet she has been told that she no longer qualifies for NHS chiropody care and has been forced to go private – something she may not be able to afford to do in future."
"Because this is far from an isolated example, will the Minister now accept that there is a real problem here, accept that in a target driven culture those NHS services not targeted are suffering, and will he now do something about it."
Dr. Ladyman denied there was an issue despite the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists having stated previously that many patients are being 'bumped off' waiting lists.
The above is in relationship to this report from the Scotsman.com
Quote:
The pre-election battle over the NHS raged on today as the Tories raised the case of another individual patient in a bid to expose problems in the health service.
They complained that an infirm 82-year-old woman who had suffered three strokes had been told she did not qualify for NHS footcare and would have to go private.
Spokesman John Barron said the partially-sighted and almost-deaf woman suffered from angina and emphysema and was unable to bend.
Paying for private care was “something she may not be able to afford to do in future”, he said, insisting the case was “a far cry from an isolated example”.
Health minister Stephen Ladyman conceded that such a patient should get specialist care but accused the Tories of using the woman as a political weapon.
“If you had really wanted that lady’s case explored you would have given it to me before these questions so I could have looked into it.
“On the face of it that lady should be getting access to specialist care,” he said, pointing out it was one case among two million people receiving NHS chiropody services.
Last month there was a furious political battle over the case of Margaret Dixon, whose cancelled shoulder operation was raised by Tory leader Michael Howard at question time.
Health Secretary John Reid also suggested a Tory policy to subsidise private treatment was “unfair, immoral and illegal”.
Conservative proposals would give patients up to half the cost of having an operation done by the NHS towards having it done privately instead.
Dr Reid told MPs: “There is absolutely no provision for any charges or co-payment under the law for basic hospital operations.
“That is why I say any plans to do so would be unfair, immoral and illegal.”
His Tory shadow Andrew Lansley said his party had no plans to charge for NHS treatment – accusing Labour of planning to raise an extra £145 million from charges for personal injury cases.
Dr Reid said that sum would come from the recovery of costs from people whose negligence left others needing NHS treatment – not patients themselves.
Government deny chiropody crisis
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