§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, when they took advice on the NHS reforms from Mr. Clive Froggatt, they were aware that he once held that "management and finances were much more important than the lot of the individual patient" (Sunday Times, 30th April).
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)The Government took advice from a wide range of experts in the course of formulating and implementing their 39WA National Health Service reforms. Advice was sought from individuals because of their expertise in particular areas of healthcare. Seeking advice from particular individuals does not imply endorsement or otherwise of all the views they might hold in relation to the matters they have been asked to advise on. The title of the White Paper which introduced the NHS reform—Working for Patients—and all the subsequent initiatives such as the Patient's Charter and reduced waiting lists, amply demonstrate that this Government put patients at the centre of their efforts to sustain and develop the health service.