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Health and Social Care Services

Those financial pressures come from the fact that in a few areas of the country, there has been over-spending on NHS budgets, even at a time when, year on year, the NHS is receiving more money than ever before, including in north-west Hampshire. As well as publishing the White Paper, I am ensuring that primary care trusts that are considering the closure of community facilities, and particularly community hospitals, review those in the light of the clear strategy that we have spelled out in the White Paper to ensure that they have the facilities that will be needed as more services are moved out of acute hospitals into the community. That is not only better for patients, which must be our No.1 concern, but provides better value for money.