The Southend West MP visited Highlands Surgery to assess how their service is coping over the winter, following on from her election commitment to improve the local healthcare system.
Delivering on this promise over the last year, she has helped to secure major improvements including 111 new paramedics, 11 new ambulances, a new £1.2 million outpatient building, an enhanced bridging service, an ambulance handover unit, and now an expanded discharge lounge worth £960,000.
Improving GP services across the constituency also continues to be one of her top priorities, especially with concerning UK-wide reports on Strep A and access to appointments hitting the national newspapers.
Following this, Anna made it her priority to talk with local doctors and nurses to find out how the local NHS primary care system is coping heading into the winter.
Meeting with the Practice Manager, Anna was pleased to hear that Highlands Surgery is doing well and has been able to meet a high number of appointments despite a rise in seasonal flu and Strep A cases.
However, the local MP has continued to press the importance of ensuring any digital assessments for whether a patient needs to meet with a GP should be as user-friendly as possible. This has followed residents reaching out because of a fear they might not be seen.
One key issue highlighted was incorrect data being collected by NHS Digital on the number of appointments local surgeries are seeing. The Southend West representative was absolutely shocked by this and has immediately raised the matter with the Secretary of State for Health, Stephen Barclay MP.
She has urged the Health Minister to ensure accurate data is being published so local people in Southend really know how their public services are performing.
Finally, she thanked NHS staff both in Highlands and across the hospital, ambulance, and primary care network for their commitment to the service over the previous year.
Anna has received reassurance that residents are unlikely to see a significant impact from NHS strikes advertised in the national press as no action has been scheduled by local healthcare providers. This includes Southend Hospital, EPUT (mental health service), and EEAST (ambulance service).
Anna said,
“I was really delighted with my trip to Highlands Surgery at a time when we are seeing some really worrying healthcare articles in the press, including on Strep A, scarlet fever and striking.”
“Healthcare staff across the constituency are doing an amazing job at keeping us safe. Additionally, I am really pleased to hear that the majority of our NHS services in the local area won’t be impacted by strikes this Christmas.”
“I now have some work to do in ensuring residents have access to accurate data published by the NHS and will lobby the Secretary of State until we see this fixed.”
