The service provided to patients and their families by the ClinicentaCarillion owned Surgicentre is just not good enough. The catalogue of complaints surrounding the Surgicentre continue to increase and my constituents continue to find it difficult to get appointments and then they are often cancelled at short notice. Even though ClinicentaCarillion are receiving less referrals than they expected, they are still only managing to treat about 50% within 18 weeks. Patients should be treated within the rights outlined in the NHS constitution and some of my constituents are being offered treatment in other units because their wait is so long.

It is public knowledge that I organised a meeting with other Members of Parliament and summoned ClinicentaCarillion to Parliament to explain themselves. The Care Quality Commission have also investigated their services and found they failed on four out of five of their standards. Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust have also intervened on several occasions and without their support it would have been even worse.

It is clear that the shared pathway process, which was implemented by the previous government, is deeply flawed and must be reformed. Under the previous government any willing company could provide services, but we have changed the law so only qualified companies can provide services. ClinicentaCarillion may have been willing, but they certainly are not qualified and this is why we are in this situation.

I also met with the Minister of State for Health and his civil servants to explain the situation. I made it clear that time has run out for ClinicentaCarillion and they should not be involved in managing the Surgicentre. They have failed and I will not accept or allow them to fail my constituents - their time has run out.