West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has backed local GPs calling for better use of local community hospitals. Harriett has three highly-valued community hospitals in her constituency and her constituents are keen to ensure that they are used more to offer more services closer to home. The MP welcomed a statement by the South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group supporting more services being delivered through community hospitals. CCGs are run by GPs and act as patients’ personal shoppers in the NHS. Harriett commented: “I welcome this intervention by the CCG who represent the GPs who now play a vital role as ‘personal shoppers’ to secure the best care for their patients. “The NHS locally is investing in an important new radiotherapy unit in Worcester, expanding maternity services and working hard to reduce the pressures on Accident and Emergency departments. “I have three very valuable community hospitals in my constituency and all the feedback passed on to me suggests that local people want them used more. “This will mean that patients are getting treatment much closer to home making it more convenient and also reducing the pressure on the county’s transport network and on Accident and Emergency departments. “Tenbury, Pershore and Malvern Community Hospitals play a vital role in their local community and I will continue to press for more services to be delivered through each of these locations. “I have always spoken up for these important local resources and I think the health economy chiefs must find ways to work together to use each of these hospitals more, not less.”