New Winchester MP Steve Brine has raised the issue of Out of Hours GP cover during a big health debate in Parliament.
Steve was speaking in the House of Commons as Health Secretary Andrew Lansley revealed radical new plans for the NHS from the coalition Government.
The Health White Paper entitled 'Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS' paves the way for GP-led commissioning, new democratic control over the service and will see primary care trusts and strategic health authorities abolished by 2013.
Steve, who works as part of the influential health departmental support group, put the Health Secretary on the spot over Out of Hours emergency care which he said was a "great worry" to many of the people he represents.
He said; "Concerns about out of hours cover are very real locally.When you or worse still a child are taken ill in the middle of the night you need full confidence in the care you will receive. Too many people tell me that confidence is flagging and we have to address that. I am not arguing for the return of some bygone age, just effective emergency care for local people which we promised to provide at the election."
Mr Lansley replied positively; "The commissioning responsibility will include urgent and out-of-hours care. I commend to my hon. Friend what the White Paper says about how we can deliver improvements in efficiency and effectiveness in terms of urgent care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."