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Private Sector (NHS)

It should not be at the expense of the national health service, and I am sorry if I gave that impression. In my experience of the Dudley South PCT, however, it is not being done at the expense of the NHS; it is helping to solve problems. The main fact that I want to get across is that it has been helpful. I have not yet dealt with scanners and other problems, but the provision that I have mentioned has certainly helped in the surgery cases that I have dealt with. The proof is that my constituents tell me, "Thanks for flagging it up. Thanks for pointing me to that service. I have an appointment." For me, it has worked. I am less experienced than my colleagues, but I speak from my experience. My constituents have benefited also from the hospice movement. Acorns children's hospice is based at Selly Oak in Birmingham, but it serves my constituency and south Birmingham and the black country area. That, too, is in the voluntary sector, but it is in danger of being lumped into the "private, bad" group, which is not the case. In fact, it gives such a brilliant service that it has helped almost 2,000 families in the past 16 years.