Category Archives: Health

Spending Review delivers on local priorities

Yesterday the Chancellor set out the government’s spending plans for next year, 2021/22. These announcements deliver on the government’s promises to residents in Elmbridge, and include important measures to tackle Coronavirus, but also to deliver on other priorities including policing and schools.

First, Coronavirus. The government is spending £280 billion this year to get the country through the pandemic, including through the furlough scheme, business loans and grants, and tax relief. Next year, public services will receive £55 billion to tackle Coronavirus, including an initial £18 billion to fund programmes on testing, PPE and vaccines. This will support the national fight against the pandemic, and our local effort in Elmbridge.

Beyond Coronavirus, the Spending Review contained good news for some key local priorities. On schools, the Chancellor confirmed that funding will increase by £2.2 billion next year. As a result, our local primary schools will see a 4.2% per pupil funding increase, and local secondary schools will see a 2.7% per pupil increase. You can read more about this here.

On policing, Surrey Police will benefit from a £400 million national funding boost for policing, enabling the recruitment of 6,000 more officers across England and Wales next year. While we don’t yet know what Surrey Police’s share of these officers will be, it’s good news that the force is on track to meet its target of recruiting 78 new officers this year.

The Chancellor also announced significant new funding for the NHS, including a £6.3 billion boost to general spending, £3 billion dedicated to supporting the NHS in recovering from the pandemic, and £325m for new diagnostic equipment. As ever, I’ll be making sure that this translates into better outcomes locally.

Finally, there was an important announcement about social care, which is particularly relevant for us locally. I know that the sector has been under pressure during the pandemic, so it’s good news that the £1 billion social care grant divided between local authorities this year will be provided again next year, and complemented by an extra £300 million grant.

Coronavirus continues to be a challenge. But there is now light at the end of the tunnel, and with more testing and vaccines becoming available, the government will also be focussing on addressing the important, everyday issues that can really make a difference locally.

Dom visiting the Covid-19 Hot Hub at Giggs Hill Surgery in Thames Ditton in April.

Preparing local A&Es for winter

In recent weeks there have been some very welcome funding announcements for local A&Es, which will help them to prepare for winter.

First, in September the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that St Peter’s hospital in Chertsey has been allocated £6 million for an expanded emergency department and urgent treatment centre. While St Peter’s is just outside Elmbridge, it’s widely used by local residents, so this is great news for the borough.

This funding boost will help to ensure that, ahead of winter, A&Es have the resources they need to treat patients, manage patient flow and improve infection control.

Second, over the summer DHSC also allocated Kingston Hospital £790,000 to upgrade its A&E facilities. The government has now invested £450m to upgrade A&Es in England ahead of winter.

These allocations are good news for local residents. They mean that both of our local A&Es, St Peter’s and Kingston, will have the extra investment required to deal with the additional pressures that come with the winter months.

Dom meeting Dr Jill Evans in March, before the Coronavirus restrictions were introduced.

Nominating Dr Jill Evans’ team for the NHS Parliamentary Awards

Earlier this month, I was delighted to nominate Dr Jill Evans and her team for the 2020 NHS Parliamentary Awards, in the “Excellence in Healthcare” category.

These awards are a great opportunity to recognise the tireless efforts made by NHS staff, and I have been very impressed with all Dr Evans’ team’s efforts and initiatives locally.

Her team (the East Elmbridge Community Services Leadership Team) have done innovative work in combining the management of multiple local teams and organisations into one system. This means that, working closely with the GP practices, the team now oversees the management of Molesey Community Hospital, local community services and a community medical team.

Close coordination between these organisations has removed unnecessary barriers between them, resulting in patients receiving more personalised, higher quality care. This is particularly beneficial for the elderly, with fewer hospital admissions and more patients being treated at home. The nomination I made recognises this great work.

Of course, like all NHS staff, Dr Evans’ team have been working particularly hard during the Coronavirus pandemic. As well as recognising the team’s innovative restructuring work, I am also using this nomination to thank them for their efforts during this difficult time.

Shortlisted nominees will be announced on 23 November, with the awards ceremony itself taking place in Parliament on 7 July 2021. I wish Dr Evans’ team the best of luck.

Update from South East Coast Ambulance Service

It was good to speak to Philip Astle and David Astley from South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) today. SECAmb responds to 999 and 111 calls across Surrey and the south east, and we have two of their ambulance stations locally, in Esher and Walton.

Like all parts of the NHS, SECAmb has experienced significant pressures during the Coronavirus pandemic, receiving very large volumes of calls. The service is, however, meeting targets for responding to urgent cases, and answering the average 999 call within one second.

We also discussed the impact that Coronavirus has had on SECAmb staff. Like many organisations, SECAmb has experienced difficulties with staff being off sick or in self-isolation. The situation has been improving recently, with the current proportion of staff off sick or self-isolating (1.6%) significantly lower than at the height of the pandemic (14%). The service also has good supplies of PPE to ensure that staff are properly protected when on call.

Looking ahead, it was good to hear that SECAmb has recently been able to focus more on non-Coronavirus cases, and is actively planning for the extra pressures that come with winter. Staff are also planning for any challenges related to the end of the transition period with the EU at the end of the year.

I am grateful to Philip and David for the useful briefing, and pay tribute to the dedicated work of SECAmb’s paramedics and ambulance drivers during the pandemic.

Visit to Princess Alice Hospice in Esher

On Friday, I had a valuable meeting at Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. This is a truly inspirational local charity, providing end of life care at the hospice as well as crucial support for the terminally ill and their families at home.

I had a good discussion with Professor Fiona Ross (Chair of the hospice’s Board of Trustees), Nicki Shaw (the CEO) and Professor Sean Hilton about their experience during the Coronavirus pandemic, including the challenges the hospice has faced and the lessons that have been learned. We also spoke about the government’s plans to integrate health and social care, and what that will mean for the hospice sector.

The team at the hospice have done a fantastic job over the past few months, in difficult circumstances. I look forward to working closely with them in the future.

Saying thank you on Volunteers’ Week

This Volunteers’ Week, I want to say a special thank you to everyone in Elmbridge who has gone the extra mile to support our community in recent months.

I’ve seen first-hand the crucial role that volunteers have been playing during the Coronavirus pandemic, including at the East Elmbridge Foodbank and The Besom in Esher. Their work has been invaluable in supporting local residents, and particularly the elderly and vulnerable, at a difficult time.

This morning, I joined Colin McFarlane from North West Surrey Community First Responders to help out with their prescription delivery service. This impressive operation makes deliveries across Surrey to those who can’t get out and about during the pandemic. It was a pleasure to deliver prescriptions to elderly residents in Walton and Esher, being careful to use gloves and hand sanitiser – and observe social distancing – throughout.

This initiative is another example of the importance of local volunteering, and of the fantastic community spirit we have in Elmbridge.

£8.5m boost for cycling and walking in Surrey

I was encouraged to hear that the government has allocated Surrey £8.5m from a new emergency active travel fund, to invest in cycling and walking facilities.

Following unprecedented levels of cycling and walking during the Coronavirus pandemic, this funding is designed to make it easier for people to choose alternatives to public transport and relieve pressure on the network.

Surrey County Council could use the funding to create pop-up cycle lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions in Elmbridge. In addition to the health benefits of active travel, this will also help to reduce local congestion and improve air quality.

Surrey’s £8.5m allocation includes £1.7m to support the installation of temporary projects – to support the county during Coronavirus-related disruption – and £6.8m to support the creation of longer-term projects, which will permanently benefit residents in Elmbridge and across Surrey.

Volunteering with East Elmbridge Foodbank

This morning I volunteered with Jenny French and her brilliant team at East Elmbridge Foodbank, delivering parcels to some of the most vulnerable in our community during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The foodbank has transformed its operation to respond to increased demand at this time, and has an incredible system up and running. The volunteers are now operating a doorstep delivery service, distributing over 100 food boxes every week and over 800 since the outbreak began. They have also established a new packing and dispatch centre at Molesey Youth Centre.

I was encouraged to hear that local residents have been very generous in supporting this important community effort. The foodbank’s crowdfunding campaign reached its initial £5,000 target in less than 24 hours.

Jenny is searching for a new site to move the operation to. If you know of a suitable available site, ideally a warehouse in a central location in East Elmbridge, the foodbank would be very grateful to hear from you. Their contact details can be found at www.eastelmbridge.foodbank.org.uk.

Surrey to receive £19.2m to tackle Coronavirus in care homes

Dom visiting Arbrook House Care Home in Esher in 2019.

 

I was encouraged to hear that Surrey will benefit from £19.2 million of new funding to reduce the transmission of Coronavirus in care homes. This allocation – from a new £600m Infection Control Fund – is the largest for any local authority in England, in recognition of the significant number of care home beds in the county.

With this funding, local authorities like Surrey will be able to ensure that care homes can continue to halt the spread of Coronavirus by helping them cover the costs of implementing measures to reduce transmission.

The funding backs up a wider support package for care home residents and staff, which sets out the steps which must now be taken to keep people in care homes safe. This includes every care home having a named clinical lead to provide direct care for residents.

I know from visiting our local care homes before the Coronavirus outbreak just how dedicated the staff are. They have been working hard to reduce the spread of Coronavirus, for which everyone in Elmbridge and across Surrey is grateful. This new funding will boost these efforts, minimising infections and helping to save lives.

How the government is supporting Elmbridge through Coronavirus

The Coronavirus pandemic continues to present us with one of the biggest challenges we have faced as a country in decades.

Over the past few weeks, people locally and across the country have made a real effort, and significant sacrifices, in following the guidance to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. It’s working, we are starting to come through the peak of Coronavirus – and I want to thank you for an incredible team effort.

I appreciate that the situation is causing significant disruption and financial difficulty. This is why the government has introduced unprecedented measures to support individuals, businesses and local councils. I want to explain the difference that some of these measures are making in Elmbridge in particular.

First, we recognise that the lockdown will be affecting people who were already struggling financially. To help with this, a £500m hardship fund has been distributed to local councils, allowing them to support economically vulnerable people and households. Elmbridge Borough Council has received £667,672 of this funding, most of which will be used to provide Council Tax relief.

Second, the government has launched two grant schemes for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises which have been facing very challenging circumstances. Elmbridge Borough Council has received more than £24m from the government to provide these schemes. By 27 April, £18.7m of this had been distributed to 1,320 business properties across Elmbridge.

There have also been changes to the business rates system, which will see Elmbridge businesses receiving a government-funded £27.5m discount on their rates bills this tax year.

These are only a few of the measures that the government has announced. Local residents and businesses are also being supported by business loan schemes, VAT deferrals, grants for self-employed people, and bans on evictions. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – allowing businesses to furlough staff while receiving grants to pay their wages – went live last week.

The full range of government help for individuals and businesses can be found here. If you are in any doubt about what you or your business might be eligible for, please contact me at dominic.raab.mp@parliament.uk.

Finally, local councils like Elmbridge are at the forefront of this national effort and are facing a significant financial burden. In recognition of this, the government has provided councils with £3.2bn of funding to spend as they see fit – for example, on the ‘shielding’ programmes for extremely vulnerable people.