… because I don’t use it …

I heard a man say this on the World at One today … he actually said that the money his taxes contributed to the health service was a ‘rip off’.  And the why ? … because he ‘doesn’t use it’.  I could hardly believe my ears.  Doesn’t use it!   Isn’t he lucky … and let’s hope that he goes through life being that lucky.

I suspect, however, that he will find that he will need to use it. He will use it, his close family will use it, if he has children, they will use it, his friends will use it.

And that is why we all contribute.

Personally I hope I never have to use it … for anything other than minor things,  but I’ve seen too many healthy people suddenly find that they are struck-down by a chronic condition requiring intensive treatment, to know that just because one is fit and healthy today does not mean it will stay that way.

And the reason we all contribute is so that the service we may have to rely on is there when we need it, because we never know what will happen to us, or those dear to us, during our lifetime.

 

It’s time we all took more care of our eyes

During the election, I took part in a quiz from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)  designed to raise awareness amongst election candidates of the leading causes of sight loss.  Questions also ask who can get free eye tests and how many of us are already living with sight problems.

I am becoming increasingly aware of the issues affecting people with visual impairment, as I learn more about the issue from a member of my family, who is suffering from macular degeneration.

There are around 1.8 million people in the UK already living with sight loss, with around 2700 in Mitcham and Morden.  RNIB’s quiz revealed that pensioners are most at risk of losing their sight, in fact two-thirds of partially sighted people are aged 75 or over. Yet, six million older people in the UK (47 per cent) are needlessly risking their sight by not having their eyes tested regularly, despite being eligible for free eye tests.

The quiz confirmed that nearly 50 per cent of all sight loss is avoidable. This includes people with refractive error – that is people in need of a correct prescription for glasses or contact lenses – and people who have lost sight through conditions that could have been treated if detected early enough, such as glaucoma.

I am surprised at how many people  are putting their sight at risk through not having regular eye tests.  There needs to be a greater public understanding that a sight test isn’t just about whether you need glasses, it can also detect signs of eye disease. It’s time we all took eye health a great deal more seriously.

RNIB recommends that everyone should get their eyes tested every two years, or more frequently if recommended by an optometrist.

The RNIB  is the UK’s leading charity offering information, support and advice to around two million people with sight loss.  You can find out more from their website www.rnib.org.uk  or phone 0303 123 9999.

Nursing Counts Campaign

Thank you to everyone who has been in touch with me about this campaign.  I am pleased to support it.

Liberal Democrats believe that when it comes to improving NHS services it is important that we listen to those who work on the front line.  Low staff morale is a big problem in today’s NHS because many people feel they have not been listened to.  We believe that professionals like nurses, are best placed to know the day-to-day needs of patients and the hour by hour demands on staff.

We will give power back to nurses by giving them control over budgets and greater responsibility for running their own wards and units.  Ward sisters and charge nurses are vital to hospital nursing and ensuring high quality patient care.  Lead nurses should have responsibility for ensuring that wards are clean, patients are being fed and looked after and that staffing levels and equipment is up to scratch.

We will also give every NHS staff members that chance to vote on whether their hospital trust should become a wholly owned employee trust.  NHS staff members would be trustees of their hospital and its assets for future generations.  As co-owners, they would have greater control over the services they provide and shape the hospital’s future.

As part of our plans to radically decentralise the NHS, we are proposing elected health boards.  Under this system it would no longer be appropriate to retain Strategic Health Authorities in their current form.  This would mean that responsibility for planning tertiary services such as specialist medical units which cannot be provided in every area would move to a new light touch regional body made up of representation from local health boards.  This board would also be responsible for staff training, education and workforce planning.

The NHS is one of this country’s greatest achievements, but it has become far too focussed on treating diseases rather than preventing them.  While our nation’s health should be improving, alcohol, smoking, obesity, bad diets and lack of exercise means that for many it is getting worse.  The long term costs of us failing to tackle this public health issue would be enormous.  We will encourage the NHS to work with local communities to help tackle the public health problems and provide facilities and services to help people improve their health.

We also want to expand access to programmes of screening for cancer and other chronic illnesses.  We will ensure that public health spending isn’t cut in the years to come by making savings elsewhere in the NHS and recycling the money to this vital element of care.

Three out of every five people aged over 60 in England have a long term condition.  We believe that in a fair society, people suffering from long-term conditions should know that they can rely on the NHS.   Whilst the NHS has received high investment over recent years, we believe that too much has been consumed by bureaucracy at the expense of frontline services.  To ensure that frontline funding is maintained in the current tough economic climate, we will cut waste on quangos, bureaucrats and top-level pay and re-invest every penny to protect services that are under pressure.  These include mental health provision, cancer, maternity services and dementia care.

British Pubs and British Beer

I have been approached to support pubs and British beer.

Beer is not my personal tipple of choice, but I have friends who enjoy a good beer and are particularly partial to something special from an independent brewer.   Having said that, I did try some specialist ale recently which was very tasty.

I recognise the role that a good local pub plays in a community and I do enjoy a traditional British pub with a cosy atmosphere.  Lib Dems have always been concerned that tax rises on beer will harm pubs which are already struggling in difficult economic circumstances.  They will also damage smaller independent beer breweries.   My party tabled an amendment in 2009 to scrap the 2 per cent rise on beer tax and signed a parliamentary motion which called on the Chancellor to use the November pre-budget statement to reverse the 8 per cent beer duty increase.

Having said all that, I am concerned about excessive alcohol consumption and the impact it is having on the heath of individuals and behaviour in pubic places.   I want to see a broader and more intelligent response to binge drinking culture and an increased public debate about the role alcohol plays in our society.    There are many people who would not put themselves into the ‘binge drinking’ category, but who are consuming unhealthy levels of alcohol.  I think we must change our relationship with alcohol.

Macmillan’s Cancer Support Campaign

Residents have been contacting me about the Macmillan’s Cancer Support campaign.  I am very happy to support this important issue.

I want to see high quality care provided to cancer patients throughout their treatment and beyond, particularly with help back to work.  Currently there is no strong framework for helping cancer patients get back into work – this situation must be rectified.

I am also concerned about healthcare inequalities.  Quality of healthcare can vary depending on income, gender age and race – we must work harder to ensure that people get fair treatment.

The Government has finally given the go ahead for the £219m St Helier Hospital redevelopment

As I was born in St Helier Hospital it has special significance for me so I am so pleased that the much needed investment to rebuilt and upgrade this facility is to go ahead.   I hope that this redevelopment will mark the start of a new phase in healthcare provision in this area, and that we will see the harnessing of new diagnostic and treatment regimes that will truly bring better healthcare closer to home.

The funding will mean that almost a third of the current site will be demolished and replace with a brand new building, which will house the majority of the hospital’s wards and clinics.    More than 50% of the 346 beds in the new building will be single rooms.  The building will include a local care centre costing £17m, purpose build outpatient facilities and a new pharmacy.

In addition, nearly £40million will be spent on upgrading the remainder of the 70 year d site, including opening a centralised eye clinic and refurbishing wards which will not be moving into the new building.

A new decked car park is also included.  The press release from the NHS says that it will make it easier for patients, visitors and staff to park.  I certainly hope it will make it cheaper, as the cost of parking was raised with me by residents responding to my survey on local health services.   Most people who responded said it was too expensive.

Breast Cancer Campaign’s Cancer Research Election Pledge

Liberal Democrats are pleased to support this campaign and I am happy to add my name to it.

The Lib Dems are committed to providing charities with the support, infrastructure and access to funding they need for a sustainable financial future.  This will ensure that the real strengths of the sector are maintained.

Scientific research will be at the forefront of our thinking as we continue to grapple with the black hole in the nation’s finances.   We are sensitive to the need for consistency and reliability in scientific funding, so we are committed to ensuring stable and well managed funding for research, which helps scientists develop new technologies and medicines.

We will ensure that funding is allocated according to broad priorities and that science, not politics, is the deciding factor in decisions.  This underpins our commitment to the principle of policy based on independent evidence.

Stand up for children

A number of residents have been in touch asking me to sign up to the NSPCC’s ‘I stand up for children’ pledge.   I confirm that I support this important call.

The Liberal Democrats produced a child protection paper back in 2009, and within it we committed to many of the requests made by the NSPCC. This included continuing to fund Childline. We have also called for helpline services to be accessible and confidential so people know when and how to report suspected abuse.

We have supported calls to amend the Home Office’s definition of domestic violence in England to include the impact of domestic violence on children. Indeed, Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Children, Schools and Families, Annette Brooke MP, recently tabled, in Parliament,  Early Day Motion number 772 which explicitly outlines this issue and calls for the Government to address it.

Liberal Democrats have also set out plans for online bullying and abuse to be tackled by using quick-report buttons on social networking sites, enabling offensive postings to be speedily removed, or concerns about abuse to be addressed immediately.

We believe that the Children’s Commission should be a truly independent position; if it is to receive taxpayer’s funds then it must be given the power and authority to make positive changes for children and challenge the Government and media when children’s causes are being ignored. It is important that the Commissioner works closely with a variety of children’s charities, and is happy to stand up and be heard when they think things are going wrong.

Liberal Democrats are committed to therapeutic services and understand the real difference they can make. We would also adopt the Layard proposals beyond 2011 – ensuring that those that need it have access to appropriate cognitive behavioural therapies. Therapeutic services for young people are one of the most effective ways of ensuring that childhood trauma and abuse does not permanently damage life chances.

When I was a councillor, with the Young People portfolio and involved in the Pupil Referral Unit,  I heard of and met young people who had been victims of appalling events.  As a result of talking to young people, I became aware of hidden problems including self harm and eating disorders  and so promoted awareness of issues around mental health.  This resulted in a community conference being held back in 2005, on the subject, where young people presented the issues from their perspective.

I want to see all children getting a good start in life, protected from exploitation and abuse, living in a safe environment, supported by adults who nurture and love them and with an education that provides them with the tools that will enable them to reach their own potential.

Don’t give up trying to give up

This is the 27th year of No Smoking Day which this year takes place on 10th March.  It is  designed to encouraging smokers in Mitcham and Morden to break free and kick the habit.     No Smoking Day  is a registered charity supported by an alliance of the UK’s health promotion agencies and major health charities.

I am supporting this year’s No Smoking Day campaign and will be visiting the exhibition at Morden Civic Centre on Wednesday.

No Smoking Day is a fantastic campaign to help and support smokers who want to stop smoking.  I’m encouraging smokers in Mitcham and Morden to break free on No Smoking Day and give up cigarettes for good!  In this current economic climate, hardworking families are finding it particularly difficult.  I know people report significant savings when they stop buying cigarettes.

I would encourage anyone who smokes, to visit a local stop smoking service for help and advice on how to stop smoking and increase your chances of success by up to four times.

Duncan Bannatyne, No Smoking Day President, entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star said:  “Quitting smoking isn’t always easy. Most of the nine million UK smokers say they’d like to quit, and many have tried to stop several times over the last year.  If you’ve tried and failed a few times, it’s easy to give up hope. But you’ll find few ex-smokers that quit the habit on their first attempt.”

So the message is clear – don’t give up trying to give up.

www.nosmokingday.org.uk

Commit to beat cancer

I have been asked whether I support Cancer Research UK’s Commit to Beat Cancer campaign – the answer is yes.

Cancer is one of the main causes of death in the UK and the Liberal Democrats believe it must be a priority to improve cancer treatment throughout the NHS.

Improving the take up of screening is vital and we have argued the case for removing the upper age limit of 70 for being invited to breast cancer screening and of 65 for cervical cancer screening.  The upper age limits cannot be justified given hat the highest prevalence of cancer is in older life.

Lifestyle factors have been linked to cancer and so one of the most effective ways to beat cancer is to encourage healthier lifestyles, in particular amongst younger people.  Alcohol, tobacco and obesity are all factors that can increase the risk of contracting cancer and we believe that more should be done to encourage people to lead a healthy life.

Cancer care in the UK is unfortunately subject to much inequality.  Not only does care vary from place to place – the quality can also differ according to a patient’s ethnicity, class or age.  This problem needs addressing urgently to ensure that everyone can rely on high quality care wherever they live.

Finally we are eager that vital research continues into cancer treatment and screening procedures.