Follow the link below for an update relating to the new ministerial team supporting Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health:

a.. Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sutton, Cheam and Worcester Park, has been a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin for many years his areas of responsibility include long term conditions and personal health budgets
b.. Anne Milton, Conservative MP for Guildford, is a nurse and her areas of responsibility include public health and childrens health

Andrew Langford of Skin Care Campaign has been in contact with the following message. Don't hesitate to contact him with concerns about any problems being experienced in accessing services or changes in current provision.  

"New Government, New Health Secretary, Worst Economic Crisis in Decades ... So What Happens Now ...?

Whilst it may not be very pleasant to hear or acknowledge at least the new Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has been as up-front as possible and said that the NHS will not be spared the efficiency savings which the Government is due to impose on the public sector.  Overall spending on the NHS will rise in real terms, he said, but the "substantial increase" in health spending over the past decade under Labour was "not sustainable for the future".

The Government would have to go beyond the annual efficiency savings for the NHS set out by Labour, Mr Lansley said. Labour said its plans had implied savings of up to £20 billion by 2013-14 and warned that the coalition's plans to do more would mean "real pain for the NHS".

Areas like dermatology will be hardest hit, not least because it doesn't attract the emotional public support like areas such as cancer, childrens services, intensive care units etc. Already commissioners in many primary care and hospital trusts are talking about low and no priority frameworks and I have heard some radical ideas for cutting back on services for people with acne and expect equally uninformed subjective ideas being put forward for most skin conditions where many DoH, NHS, PCT, hospital trust staff etc see them as cosmetic rather than clinical conditions that can severely affect people's quality of life.

Inevitably hard times are coming and coming fast for many with skin diseases who need good quality NHS care - we must act fast to save threatened services. If anyone gets the slightest hint of plans to change their service please let me know asap so that I can get involved, demand public consultation and provide relevant information to inform the decision makers effectively".

Andrew can be contacted by email or telephone - details below.

Andrew Langford
Chief Executive
Skin Care Campaign

e: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
t:  07810564913

twitter: @skincampaign