On the 16th October two important subjects “Carer’s allowance” and “Access to primary healthcare” were debated as part of “Opposition Day:”
On the subject of “Carer’s Allowance” six Sussex MPs made comments. Helena Dollimore, Labour for Hastings and Rye, Mims Davies, Conservative for East Grinstead and Uckfield responded to Alison McGovern, Labour Minister for “The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions” Helena said;
“I join the Minister in paying tribute to the millions of carers in the country, including those in my constituency. Does she agree that when someone is juggling the daily stresses of life, it can be difficult to remember to notify the DWP of a change in circumstances, which is required under the current arrangement?”
Jess Brown-Fuller, Liberal Democrat MP for Chichester spoke
“If a carer receives a bonus from their employer for doing a good job and it takes them over the threshold, should they lose their carer’s allowance?”
Later Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrat for Eastbourne spoke very significantly but he began with:
“Sophie, Clare, Oliver and Wendy are some of the most resilient people I know. They are all ‘Eastbournians’, they would all do anything for their families, and they are all carers. They are among the 9,415 carers in Eastbourne, and I promised them that I would use opportunities such as this debate to recognise their resilience and give them and their families a voice. Today, I strive to do exactly that. I strive to do it particularly with respect to the need for wider support to carers, which the motion mentions.”
He referred to “Sophie Ticehurst and her family care for Sophie’s 24-year-old brother Jack, who has autism and is non-verbal.” “I also pay tribute to Oliver Davis, a young Carer in my constituency.” And then “Lastly, I want to mention Wendy Turner, a different type of family carer—a kinship carer, whom you know, Madam Deputy Speaker”
Alison Bennett, Liberal Democrat MP Mid Sussex spoke;
“The population of my Mid Sussex constituency is older than the average. Across the country, the population is ageing. We cannot shy away from the fact that we will as a society increasingly rely on carers. Just because care often happens in homes—in private and behind closed doors—that does not mean that it is not important or that we can ignore it.”
She continued, “As my hon. Friend Jess Brown-Fuller said, unpaid carers save the taxpayer an astonishing £162 billion a year. The Government’s financial worries would stretch far beyond the current £22 billion black hole were it not for those unsung heroes. That is not just a statistic; it represents a profound debt of gratitude that we owe to those who provide care. The social, emotional and financial value that unpaid carers bring to our communities cannot be overstated. This afternoon, Members from all parts of the House have made that point loud and clear.”
“Access to primary healthcare” was introduced by Nusrat Ghani
“I inform the House that I have selected amendment (a), tabled in the name of the Prime Minister.” the session.
Beccy Cooper, the Labour for Worthing West contributed
“In my constituency, the Worthing integrated care centre is due to open very soon. It is part of a neighbourhood model, where GPs will work with other healthcare professionals to provide a holistic wraparound service. As has been demonstrated in this Chamber today, there are already partner practices that are working effectively. This is about the interaction between neighbourhood hubs and those partner practices. It is pragmatic politics to get those to work, and work well, for our GP colleagues.”
John Milne, Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham commented;
“In Horsham, it has become routine for surgeries to fill all available appointments within minutes of opening. Relatively junior staff are obliged to spend the rest of their time saying no to frustrated, anxious and—not infrequently—angry patients… We must get working conditions right, and that cannot be achieved in a state of permanent understaffing.”
Jess Brown-Fuller spoke;
“In my constituency of Chichester, people are deeply worried about accessing GPs, a concern echoed throughout the general election campaign and reflected in my surgery appointments with residents.”
She stated “This is not the first time I have mentioned this in the Chamber to the Secretary of State, but the collapse of a not-for-profit GP federation serving Chichester and the south coast last month was a stark reminder of the system’s fragility. Patients’ appointments were cancelled, services were threatened and 130 staff were left unpaid. The collapse was due to the erosion of contract values with primary care networks and NHS Sussex. When GPs are sitting in my surgery telling me they want to work but they cannot, with no reassurance that they will be paid for the work that they have done, something has gone terribly wrong.”
Her final words were “Lastly, we must reverse the Conservatives’ cuts to public health grants, in order to support preventive dental care, including oral health programmes and promoting healthy eating choices, which will reduce the pressure on our NHS dental services. The Government have an opportunity to turn around a decade of Conservative chaos and mismanagement of our precious NHS and to give primary care the attention and focus it deserves, and we will work constructively with them to ensure that patients in Chichester and across the country get the care that they deserve.”
ianchisnall 