The prime minister distorted my views. He should stop using the health service as a political football
David Cameron's comments to MP Angela Eagle to "calm down, dear" caused a furore during prime minister's questions on Wednesday (Cameron accused of sexism over 'calm down dear' Commons taunt, 28 April). But along with many others I was more concerned about inaccuracies in the point he was trying to make at the time.
He quoted a comment I made in a Guardian Response column (GPs do not fear the chance to reshape services, they welcome it, 12 January) in which I said many GPs were enthusiastic about the chance to help shape services for patients. I was referring to GPs in my own borough of Bexley, south London, and qualified this by saying GPs in the borough had a head start, building on their experience of commissioning over the last four years.
Taken out of context, and interspersed with condescending comments to backbench MPs, Cameron's quote is entirely misleading. As you report, "Eagle picked him up when he started to claim that a former Labour MP who supports the health reforms, Dr Howard Stoate, had been defeated at the election by the Tories." I was not defeated by a Conservative candidate – I did not in fact stand.
It is also inaccurate for Cameron to say I left my role as an MP to become a GP; I was in fact the only practising GP in parliament during the last government. Aside from this, it is worth pointing out that, having been elected chair of Bexley Clinical Cabinet by my fellow GPs, my role is to continue the good work of the last four years, achieve the best value possible, and improve health services.
Many commentators mistakenly assume that GPs will need to become expert commissioners under the planned health reforms. GPs will continue to see patients every day, but will ally their perception of patients' needs with their knowledge of the health service in order to create better services.
Although we in Bexley are leading the way in many respects, GPs in the borough do not work in isolation, taking on responsibility for every facet of patient care and commissioning. In fact, they are becoming more effective at being the patient's representative – working with a range of other professionals to ensure services are the best they can be. GPs are increasingly becoming involved in discussing budgets, local healthcare needs, service planning and delivery – resulting in dramatic improvements in services as antiquated ways of working are modernised.
The prime minister should stop using the health service as a political football and allow GPs to get on with the job of improving health services. Indeed, the current focus on GPs as decision-makers is a continuation of the progress made under the Labour government's programme of GP commissioning.
This does not mean we glibly accept every aspect of the health bill; it clearly has many inherent problems. However, it remains my view – and my experience – that GPs remain best placed to break down barriers to better working, and to ensure their patients get the highest standards of treatment.