Councillor calls on MP to fight for health funding
Tuesday, 15th April 2014.
A Labour town councillor in Haverhill has challenhged the town's MP to fight harder for health provision funding in the town.
Following news that the that services in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire would not be receiving any money from the Prime Minister’s £50m GP Access Fund, Cllr Pat Hanlon called upon MP Matthew Hancock to step in and ask why Haverhill is not to receive any funds.
Last week Ann Sisson, practice manager of Christmas Maltings, visited the Palace of Westminster to highlight her concerns about the lack of investment in GP services.
In 2012 when the Crown Health Centre, a walk-in centre, was closed, Martin Royal, director of corporate services at NHS Suffolk, said: “We have learned from the engagement exercise that there needs to be improved access to GP appointments.
"We are working with GP practices in the town to offer support through this change, and will monitor the changes very carefully.”
However Cllr Hanlon claims that this has clearly not happened.
He said: “With NHS funding being reduced and services getting worse, health services in our town need investment urgently. We need to see more evidence from this coalition government that health care is going to improve.
"In Haverhill many people have a long wait to see their GP, sometimes four weeks, far beyond what I consider to be reasonable.
"I would like to see a commitment from our MP to fight for health care in Haverhill and to ask why we are not getting part of this funding, when we really need it.”
Following news that the that services in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire would not be receiving any money from the Prime Minister’s £50m GP Access Fund, Cllr Pat Hanlon called upon MP Matthew Hancock to step in and ask why Haverhill is not to receive any funds.
Last week Ann Sisson, practice manager of Christmas Maltings, visited the Palace of Westminster to highlight her concerns about the lack of investment in GP services.
In 2012 when the Crown Health Centre, a walk-in centre, was closed, Martin Royal, director of corporate services at NHS Suffolk, said: “We have learned from the engagement exercise that there needs to be improved access to GP appointments.
"We are working with GP practices in the town to offer support through this change, and will monitor the changes very carefully.”
However Cllr Hanlon claims that this has clearly not happened.
He said: “With NHS funding being reduced and services getting worse, health services in our town need investment urgently. We need to see more evidence from this coalition government that health care is going to improve.
"In Haverhill many people have a long wait to see their GP, sometimes four weeks, far beyond what I consider to be reasonable.
"I would like to see a commitment from our MP to fight for health care in Haverhill and to ask why we are not getting part of this funding, when we really need it.”
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