Of all the issues I deal with on a day-to-day basis, I know that one is of particular importance to everyone in Truro and Falmouth - our local NHS.
Our health professionals are highly skilled and incredibly committed to their work, however, in order to continue to provide first class care they need to be to be enabled to take decisions on behalf of the communities they serve, and be supported by funding that meets local health needs. I am doing all I can to ensure this enablement takes effect and that this support is in place.
I am pleased to report that more and more decisions that affect patients in Cornwall are being made by health professionals in Cornwall. Local clinicians have now formed the Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group, with powers to provide the services their patients need. The Cornwall Health and Wellbeing Board has seen the NHS, Cornwall Council and other public health organisations come together to secure better care for local residents.
I have been working hard to address Cornwall’s historic NHS underfunding and, following my repeated representations, Ministers have agreed to year on year above inflation increases in funding for the NHS in Cornwall, stretching up to 2016. An additional £1.2 million has been given to the Royal Cornwall Hospital to fund major improvements to the Accident and Emergency Department. In a time when most Government budgets are being cut it’s a start in addressing the chronic underfunding that affecting Cornish health services under Labour. We have further to go and I remain on the case.
In March 2014 I spoke in the NHS funding (Ageing) debate in Westminster Hall, the content of which can be found here
I have also been working to build support for comprehensive reforms to our social care system, currently the cause of much misery to many families caught up in it. I secured and led a debate on the future of social care, the content of which can be found here.
I have also been working with colleagues on a key report into the role of local authorities in care provision; the full report can be accessed by clicking this link, as well as the Key to Care report, which can be found here.
Ihave been working with Cllr McKenna and the Cornwall Local Enterprise Partnership to enable more high qualiy care providers in Cornwall as well as raising the awareness and importance of people working in this sector - a recent report can be found at the base of the page.
I am proud to work closely with carers in Cornwall, and serve as Patron of the Falmouth Memory Cafe as well as supporting the Angela Harrison Trust which raises awareness of postnatal depression. I am also a keen supporter of the Friends of the Royal Cornwall Hospital and am working with the Invictus Trust to secure better facilities for young people in Cornwall with mental health problems.
In Parliament I serve as the Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Social Care, helping ensure that the needs of carers are heard loud and clear. In addition, I have been working with Macmillan Cancer Support on the subject of end of life care and ensuring that people have access to free social care when they reach the end of their lives. I am pleased that the Joint Care and Support Draft Bill Committee have taken this idea onboard and are calling for it to be implement as soon as possible.
Below is a document from the Department for Health which shows the improvements that are being made to the NHS in the South West:
Also an infographic on the Living Well Pioneer for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: