Save our Heart Unit

Like the majority of residents from Southampton I was extremely concerned to learn that the children’s heart surgery unit at Southampton General Hospital could close.

Losing the Ocean Ward would be a terrible loss to Southampton. It would mean that patients from Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands would have to travel to either London or Bristol for treatment; creating extra financial pressure on families, at a time that is already extremely emotional and stressful.

In a recent independent report by Sir Ian Kennedy, Southampton’s Heart ward was ranked second best in the country. It performs first class life saving procedures for hundreds of young children and babies in the South of England every year. Losing this ward could have huge consequences for those parents and children who depend on the dedication and expertise the Ocean Ward provides to their family.

Four options have been proposed by the NHS, three of which put Southampton’s Heart Unit in danger of being closed.

The Safe and Sustainable review itself says that option which includes Southampton (Option B):

- is the best option for retaining centres ranked highest for quality;
- includes the centres that are best for research and innovation;
- Would also protect vital intensive care services.

It’s quite simple; I, like you believe that patients deserve nothing less then very best in care. The ward is a leading centre for specialised treatment and is rated 2nd best in the country in its field. It makes absolutely no sense to close this much needed service. I would urge everyone to support the campaign to help keep the Ocean Ward open.

This campaign certainly has Southampton City Council’s support.

Register your view

The consultation survey is the only official way for the public to have their say and save our heart unit.

The survey can be completed online or you can request a paper copy by calling 020 7025 7520 or emailing nhsspecialisedservices@grayling.com

For help filling in the survey, see these guidance notes.

Fluoride Decision Must Be A Local One

I am appalled at the arrogance of bureaucrats at the Strategic Health Authority. This unelected Quango is set to be abolished in April 2012, yet it still intends to push through its plans to add fluoride to our local water supply.

These sorts of controversial decisions should be taken locally and not by unaccountable bureaucrats. In April next year the SHA is being scrapped and decisions like fluoride will pass to local authorities. This makes their decision to push ahead even more perverse.

I am objecting to this in the strongest possible terms. They should put the decision on hold and then local people can decide the issue in due course.

Backing the Have a Heart Campaign

This afternoon I am visiting Southampton General Hospital to see the work being done at the specialist children's heart centre.

Despite being rated as the 2nd highest performing of 11 centres in England, it is under threat from closure, with the number of such centres around the country being reduced.

A consultation is now taking place and I have written to the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley urging him put pressure on the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts to keep this excellent facility.

UPDATE 14/03/11 - Visit to the unit was extremely productive. We managed to have some very detailed dicussions with some of the surgeons and staff. We also saw the excellent work being done to support families by the charity Wessex Heartbeat.

Cllr Leader Royston Smith and I have pledged to lobby the Prime Minister to support the unit and the great work being done there.

David Cameron Launches NHS Manifesto and Conservatives Launch the Election Campaign in Southampton Test

Yesterday Southampton Test Conservatives held an action day to coincide with the launch of the NHS chapter of the Conservative Manifesto.

Local activists and many MPs including Shadow Minister Nick Herbert joined me in talking to residents around the General Hospital.

I'd like to thank everyone who braved the freezing cold to come out throughout the day to help. It was a great day despite the weather and together we managed to speak to hundreds of local residents.

David Cameron has quite rightly made the NHS the centre piece of the Conservative General Election campaign and has made the following pledges:

1. Scrap hospital targets.
2. Give patients detailed information about the performance of doctors, hospitals and GPs.
3. People allowed to choose where they are treated.
4. More private and voluntary providers in NHS
5. GPs’ pay linked to their performance and results.
6. Cut cost of NHS administration by a third.
7. Independent NHS board to manage the health service.
8. Hospitals will lose money if patients contract MRSA.
9. End mixed-sex accommodation.
10. Drug companies paid according to effectiveness of treatments.
11. New hotline for urgent care to run alongside 999.
12. New maternity system giving mothers more choice.
13. Every five-year old given a dental check-up as part of overhaul of NHS dental service.
14. Fines for those missing dentist appointments.
15. New drive to help the mentally-ill.
16. Department of Health turned into Department of Public Health.
17. More funding for poorest areas to tackle health inequalities.
18. £10 million a year to support hospices caring for children.
19. Single budget for each person suffering from chronic illnesses to cover their health and social care.
20. Everyone can protect their homes from being sold to fund residential care by paying a one-off insurance premium of £8,000 when they retire.

I am Committed to Improving and Investing in Our NHS

With a General Election fast approaching it is important that local people in Southampton understand my position and that of the Conservative Party on the NHS.

“The Conservative Party stands full square behind the NHS ... We back it, we are going to expand it, we have ring-fenced it and said that it will get more money under a Conservative government, and it is our Number one mission to improve it.” These are the words of David Cameron and I back him one hundred per cent.

Conservatives are committed to real terms increases in health spending year on year. David Cameron has been clear that there will be no cuts to NHS front line services under the Conservatives. With an aging population and increasing demand for health services I think this is critical.

Conservatives would trust professionals and provide the right incentives for them and to put patient choice at the heart of the NHS. A Conservative Government would:

Give patients choice over their GP and which hospital they go to.

Give more freedom to existing healthcare providers. We want to give NHS Trusts far more freedom to innovate and to adjust the way they provide services in response to their patients’ wishes locally.

End box-ticking and process targets. Instead we would focus on improving the overall results of people’s treatment in the NHS.

Stop political interference.

Strengthen the role of the Care Quality Commission.

Make prevention a priority.

Public health is central to our plan to help Britain become a healthier nation. To do this, we would help people live healthy lifestyles, develop a responsibility deal with business and build a stronger public health infrastructure.

There will be a choice at the next election and local people should know that I am committed to improving and investing in our NHS and protecting front line jobs in our local hospitals.

Abandon Fluoride Plans and Invest In NHS Dentistry

It is clear that an overwhelming majority of residents in Southampton do not wish to have fluoride added to their water.

The NHS’ initial consultation attracted 10,000 responses, with 72 per cent against. In a separate and later phone poll of 2,000 residents, 38 per cent opposed fluoridation compared to 32 per cent in favour.

Whichever way you cut it local people have made it clear that they don’t want fluoride.

In a democratic, free country we should respect the views of majority. The NHS should therefore abandon their fluoridation plans for Southampton.

No one would deny that state of dental care in the country and in particular in Southampton needs urgent attention. Nationally tooth decay is now the third most common reason that children are admitted to hospital. The statistics for some parts of Southampton are truly shocking. However there are plenty of alternatives to fluoride.

An incoming Conservative Government would seek to transform NHS dentistry from a service that is currently in seemingly terminal decline to one which delivers high standards of care to everyone who needs it.

There needs to be a far greater emphasis on preventative care and other innovations that improve oral health. The Conservatives would remove perverse incentives, such being paid the same price to put in one filling as for ten, that drive dentists to provide unnecessary or incomplete treatments.

Conservatives also propose restoring access to dentists for the million people who have lost it due to the Government’s botched reforms, providing long term health and cost benefits. As capacity builds, dentists will move to patient registration, strengthened by giving people access to new information about the results dentists achieve, empowering choices.

By using money that is currently spent on carrying out unnecessary treatments we would instead reintroduce dental screening for children in schools, so that children aged five would have their oral health addressed.

We would also give dentists the freedom to charge patients who repeatedly miss appointments. Finally we would ensure that taxpayer trained dentists work for the NHS for at least five years.