In his role as Shadow Minister for Health, Mike Penning wound up a Commons debate calling on the Government to "let the people decide".

Hemel Hempstead MP and Shadow Health Minister, Mike Penning, wound up a House of Commons debate on Emergency Care yesterday and took the opportunity to once again call on the Government to save Hemel’s A&E from closure.

Mike raised particular concerns that the policy to replace of A&E departments with urgent care centres is a based on false statistics. He told MPs that the College of Emergency Medicine has issued a list of myths and the first myth is that:

“60 per cent. of patients attending an A&E department could be seen, to the same clinical standards, at less cost, in other settings”

In fact, the College of Emergency Medicine says that:

“Between 5 and 10 per cent. of patients attending an Emergency Department...should be treated in primary care” and

“Another 20 per cent. of patients could be treated in primary care”

So the absolute maximum number of patients attending A&E that could be treated in primary care is 30%.

Speaking afterwards Mike said:

“The Government is promoting the myth that 60% of people currently attending A&E could be treated elsewhere. The College of Emergency Medicine figures show that to be more realistically 30% at most.

“For us in Hemel this is very worrying as it means that the Government’s figures for number of people attending Watford A&E will be way off the mark. Quite simply Watford will not be able to cope with the demand.”

Mike ended the debate by calling on the Minister to ask Gordon Brown to call a General Election if he really wants to hear the views of the people of Hemel Hempstead on whether or not they want to keep their A&E. He told MPs:

“The Secretary of State says that he wants local democracy, so let us have an election and let the people decide.”