Over the last few weeks, I’m sure you will have noticed that many stories about the pressures the NHS is facing and what we can do to meet those challenges. I understand the level of concern and frustration this causes, as all of us rely on the NHS at some point in our lives and it remains an institution that we can be immensely proud of.
Health is an area that I have long been interested in, and last October I was elected by my colleagues to sit on the House of Commons’ ‘Health & Social Care Select Committee’. As a group we get the opportunity to hold Government Ministers and officials to account and have the chance to question outside experts for their opinions on various issues within these sectors.
Winter challenges in the NHS are nothing new, and it’s important that the Government does everything possible to equip doctors and nurses with the resources they need. Record levels of investment are being put into the NHS, with over £180bn to be spent in the current financial year.
One of the biggest challenges we face is getting those who are well enough to leave hospital into the community, to then free up hospital beds for those that require them. I welcome the additional funding that has recently been announced for extra beds in social care settings, of which the Black Country will be benefitting from over £4m.
Tackling mental health has also long been a particular interest of mine; I’ve repeatedly called for extra funding and for parity of esteem with physical health. I was delighted by the announcement of an additional £150m of funding for more specialised mental health ambulances and more crisis services, thus reducing the pressure on A&E.
Whilst I know that challenges in our NHS cannot be fixed overnight, I know that my colleagues will do what they can to alleviate these pressures and ensure that everyone can get the care they need as quickly as possible.
This article first appeared in the Halesowen and Dudley News on 9th February 2023.
