Minister backs Priti’s Witham Health Centre Campaign
Witham MP Priti Patel has had her campaign for a new multipurpose heath care centre in Witham backed by Health Minister Stephen Barclay MP. Priti was speaking in Parliament during a debate she called today [17 April 2018] on health services in Essex and in his response the Minister joined Priti in encouraging local GPs to sign up to the project to help get it delivered. Priti also praised the work of frontline NHS staff, called for more local GP provision, support for ambulance services and improvements to mental health services. Priti said:
“The NHS in Essex is doing a great job saving lives and helping patients but there are areas for greater improvement, reform and investment. The introduction of a new healthcare centre in Witham will transform NHS services locally and help deliver more services in the community to meet growing demands. I am pleased that the Minister recognises the strong case there is in favour of the healthcare centre and the work the CCG, Town Council and District Council are doing to get this delivered.”
“What we need now is for all local GPs to support the plans. If all GPs sign up to the health centre project, a business case could be submitted by the end of June to progress this to the next stage.”
Priti also welcomed the turnaround in the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, commenting:
“The Ambulance Trust has made a number of improvements in recent years and I have been pleased to visit the ambulance station in Witham, the new headquarters in Chelmsford and meet our outstanding paramedics. I urged the Government to work closely with the Trust to ensure responses to growing winter pressures are improved in the future. ”
Priti also stressed the importance of securing new investment in health services from developers. Priti said:
“This part of Essex is experiencing huge levels of population growth with tens of thousands more people due to live in this part of Essex over the next twenty years. We need new investment in GPs and other health provision to support the growing population and funds provided from developers must be appropriate.”