Wandsworth NHS leads country on accessible GPs

Earlier this month the Government announced that 69% of GP practices in England and Wales now offer "out of hours" services to their patients. But in Wandsworth, that percentage is 75%: 36 of our 48 GPs provide extended opening hours, making it easier for you to see the Doctor after work or at the weekend.

This is great news and even more calls into question the Conservatives' extraordinary position of opposing this service along with polyclinics. Putney's Conservative MP is desperately trying to hide the fact that her opposition to improved GP services is completely at odds with the clearly expressed wishes of the public in the NHS survey. Meanwhile, with Labour NHS services keep getting better.

A sign of the importance local people place on continually improving services was seen on Thursday evening when the Putney Society held an update meeting on local plans for a West Wandsworth polyclinic (serving Putney & Roehampton), at which local GPs ands NHS managers briefed residents on the polyclinic plans and what they would mean locally.

Over 60 members of the public turned up at St Mary's Church to listen, and I took the chance of being there for most of the presentations before being having to leave to speak at another local meeting nearby.

Miss Greening is on the wrong side of this issue. People very strongly want the sort of change Labour is delivering, and while of course there is concern about changing the way health provision is delivered, better quality, quicker and more comprehensive general medical services will, I believe, trump those apprehensions.