Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association

The Audit Commission report highlighting the delays for people needing an X-ray or a scan was "a wake-up call" for more resources to be earmarked for these services, the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association said today (Thursday, 8 August).

The CPHVA’s Director, Mark Jones said: ‘Many of our members are working very hard in partnership with GPs to provide the best possible primary care. It is very frustrating for them to see patients having to wait weeks for an X-ray or MRI scan.’

‘As a member of the NHS Capital and Capacity Taskforce, I am well aware of the competing demands for resources, but early detection of illness or disease for patients is much more effective than letting the condition reach the acute stage.’

‘The shortage of radiographers and radiologists has been highlighted and a decent recruitment and retention package is one way forward to reduce the bottlenecks.’

In the spring, the CPHVA warmly welcomed the boost to NHS expenditure announced by Gordon Brown in his budget, and the CPHVA now hopes some of this money will be quickly used to cut the delays pinpointed in the Audit Commission findings.

NOTE TO NEWS EDITORS

Shaun Noble Communications Officer ( (020) 7939 7043

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CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA website: amicus-cphva.org

The CPHVA - the UK’s third largest nursing union - represents health visitors, school nurses, practice nurses, district nurses and nursery nurses working in the community in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The CPHVA is a professional section of the Amicus trade union

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