Gordon Brown visits Barkantine before policy speech
Prime minister Gordon Brown pledged to make key changes to housing, transport, health and education as he announced his new Government agenda today (Monday).
First, however, he popped into the Barkantine health centre for a quick check-up of Britain's medical facilities.
The Labour leader hailed the Isle of Dogs centre as "the shape of things to come" when he made the early morning trip accompanied by Poplar and Canning Town MP Jim Fitzpatrick. Mr Brown spoke with staff and patients at the centre, which has attracted 10,500 registered patients since its opening 18 months ago.
His visit came hours before he announced what is considered to be the party's manifesto for the next general election. Mr Brown promised to spend £1billion in a bid to create 100,000 jobs for young people, to improve transport infrastructure, to set up a £150million innovation fund for projects such as low-carbon technology, and to reform the House of Lords to remove the final hereditary peers.
Housing investment will treble to £2.1billion, and local people will be given priority on the social housing lists of councils nationwide. He also announced that no one would have to wait more than 18 weeks to be treated in hospital, and no more than two weeks to see a cancer specialist.
Before leaving the centre to deliver his address to parliament, Gordon Brown claimed that the existence of the Barkantine centre demonstrated the health service was undergoing a marked transformation.
He said "The important thing is that the health service is being changed fundamentally.
"The changes we are announcing today are about the better use of money that we put in the health service.
"We have targets that are national. We now want to move to personal entitlements.
"That puts pressure of course on the local health service delivery, but we believe that that can be done with the extra resources we've already put into the health service, and the extra resources we're putting in next year and this year.
"This is the result of massive investment we've made over the last few years, doubling investment in the health service. It's made it possible for us to achieve a higher standard of care."
He claimed that the "poly-centre" - which combines a GP surgery, maternity centre, birthing suites, a mental health unit, children's centre and dental practice - boasted "absolutely incredible" facilities.
He said: "Almost every area in the country will be looking at the success of what's happened here.
"There is money for investment for these facilities and there's a lot of demand for it.
"The facilities here are absolutely incredible."
In a meeting lasting approximately 40 minutes, the Prime Minister browsed areas including the birthing and dental facilities as well as the chemist, and stopped to chat to several bemused visitors.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "They seemed a little surprised to be met by the Prime Minister as he came through the doors.
"This centre is what the community wanted, as opposed to the ground being sold off for property development.
"It was very in-your-face that this was a valuable asset catering for all aspects of the community."
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If Barkantine is the shape of things to come then I am not filled with confidence.
Having been rather ill I went to see the doctor and was in the surgery for under 30 seconds before being dismissed.
Thankfully I got a second opinion and some proper tests and some medicine to treat the various conditions I have now been diagnosed with.
Barkantine might have nice plasma screen tv in the waiting room but on my experience the medical service offered is a danger to health.
If Barkantine is the shape of things to come then I am not filled with confidence.
The standard of "care" offered is NIL.
Having been rather ill I went to see the doctor and was in the surgery for under 30 seconds before being dismissed.
Thankfully I got a second opinion and some proper tests and some medicine to treat the various conditions I have now been diagnosed with.
Barkantine might have nice plasma screen tv in the waiting room but on my experience the medical service offered is a danger to health.
I totally agree. I've been to Barkantine a number of times. All they do is "process" you through rapidly so they meet their throughput stats. On none of my 5 or so visits has the doctor ever touched me. They just type into their computers after asking a couple of questions and recommending OTC painkillers. The facility may or may not be better at other things (e.g. the birthing centre) but their GP service is pretty useless. Unfortunately, it's all show, no substance whatsoever.