I am writing on behalf of myself, my wife and our two young sons, aged 3 and 8. We are constituents of yours. To that end, you represent us in Parliament, and on that basis alone I respectfully request a response to this email. My wife and I look on in horror daily at what is happening to our country courtesy of the Brexit to whose mast you’ve tied your colours. Every day, every headline, every radio news bulletin brings more appalling updates. Our eldest son asks what’s going on and we do our best to explain while avoiding any apparent apportionment of blame, but even he’s [...]
My interest in the subject was sparked after reading a report which indicated that many unpaid carers were feeling exhausted, ill and short of money. Here is the background - http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/scrutiny_review_to_take_place_into_how_devon_carers_are_coping After a useful meeting at Westbank, I duly proposed a spotlight review once again into how people who are caring for relatives and friends are managing, at the September meeting. It was agreed this time. I have now enquired twice when this review is going to have its first meeting but have had unsatisfactory [...]
The system, known among health professionals as ‘Rapid Response’ exists as an urgent intervention to keep people in their own homes and avoid a hospital admission if possible and appropriate. It was beefed up after the latest round of community hospital beds closures around two years ago. Unfortunately, despite the investment, there isn’t enough paid carers to look after people in their own homes. Last year I chaired a spotlight review into the service, which called on a number of witnesses, including a senior GP involved in the Local Medical Committee, Hospiscare and a patient [...]
Today Mrs May faces a no confidence vote from the Labour Party, which although the other opposition parties are likely to support, is widely expected to be lost. Just a few weeks ago her own party members brought about a vote of no confidence in her, but these MPs will support her today! However, Nigel Dodds, Deputy Leader of the DUP, whose support Mrs May scandalously bought after her disastrous general election result in 2017, strongly criticised the Prime Minister on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning for not listening to other parliamentarians. Interestingly, he appeared[...]
January Winter pressures information denied In my role as a Devon County Council health scrutiny councillor the year started with a challenge to the NHS to provide full information about winter pressures, which across the country were causing huge concern, with patients waiting on trolleys, people not being able to be discharged home because of a lack of care, ambulances not being able to deliver their patients, long waits for ambulances and in A&E. Despite huge efforts by committed NHS staff, the service struggles increasingly in the winter due to a lack of funding. In Devon alone, the [...]