Priti highlights regional health issues in Parliamentary debate
Witham MP Priti Patel has raised a range of local and regional health issues during a parliamentary debate she secured (1st March 2023) on health and wellbeing services in the East of England. Priti highlighted the need for improved GP and primary care provision, including in Witham and Tiptree, difficulties her constituents were having accessing NHS dentists and hospital waiting times.
She also spoke about ambulance services, mental health services including the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry, the role that community pharmacies play, the work Essex County Council is doing on health and wellbeing, and of the importance of better integration and connectivity between services to improve health outcomes. As well as speaking about health services, Priti called for changes to the planning system to ensure that health services receive new investment to support growing populations, when new housing is approved.
Priti said: “Frontline health and social care staff are doing fantastic work across the region treating patients and supporting healthcare needs. We also have a broad range of providers, including the voluntary and community sectors, supporting physical and mental health needs across the region, helping thousands of local residents. But our region also faces big challenges with a growing and ageing population with more complex health needs, and some of our health and wellbeing services needing reform and investment.”
“Our primary care services are under pressure and we need to see more GPs locally, improvements to health facilities in Witham and Tiptree so more treatments can be provided locally, and support for local pharmacies. We also need a long-term plan for investment in our hospitals, support for the ambulance service and more access to NHS dentists. With new GPs being trained locally at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, ambitious plans to improve social care being delivered by Essex County Council and greater awareness of mental health, there are opportunities to take advantage of, to secure new investment and improvements in local healthcare and work to deliver, that need clear focus, attention and backing from Government.”
“The Minister responding to the debate and the issues I raised gave clear commitments to look into these matters and I will continue to work with the Government to support local efforts to improve health and wellbeing services in the East of England.”
Link to the debate in Hansard