Supporting our NHS

We are the party of the NHS

Supporting Our NHS: We are the party of the NHS

As a large rural community, local services are vital to our residents. I will work tirelessly with constituents to ensure that these vital services remain a part of our community.

The Conservatives are the party of the NHS. In his recent speech at the Conservative Party Conference, our Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “The NHS is holy to the people of this country because of the simple beauty of its principle, that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, but when you are sick the whole country figuratively gathers at your bedside and does everything it can to make you well again”.

I understand that here in Cumbria those words could not be truer. After years of neglect and failing services in Cumbria we have seen radical improvements in recent years. Conservative MP’s in the region have worked hard together alongside the NHS to secure much needed long-term services. Thanks to the hard work of Trudy Harrison MP we have now secured the continued protection of much-needed maternity services in West Cumbria and I will work to protect and improve our local Community Hospitals at Cockermouth, Maryport and Workington.

Maintaining and enhancing local services

  • Local services are vital to our residents, and I understand that localised services need to be protected in rural areas such as ours.
  • As a local resident, born and bred in the constituency, I understand just how important it is to invest in our NHS and health care services, recognising the work our NHS and support staff put in to support our community.

Supporting our amazing NHS staff

  • Our NHS staff are stretched, and we share the desire to put patients first.
  • We want to use the government's planned NHS investment to bring in more doctors, nurses and support staff into the region so we ensure that the area, which has been left behind by Labour, can thrive once more.

Investing in our local hospitals

  • Community hospitals are important to our rural setting and provide key services to patients, residents and the NHS. By ensuring that we have adequately equipped and serviced community hospitals we can reduce the strains on our A&E departments, NHS staff and local infrastructure. We can truly ensure that we deliver a patient first service by investing in community hospitals. I will champion community hospitals and seek to ensure they get the investment needed.

Reducing waiting times

  • GP waiting times will be reduced under a Conservative government, allowing people to get the support they need, when they need it.
  • We are not just the party of the NHS; we are also the party of patients - putting people first to make sure everyone can get the support they need when they need it most.

Increasing Mental Health Funding

  • Health care improvements stretch far beyond hospitals and general practices, prevention is much better than cure. After years of being neglected by Labour here in West Cumbria we have some of the highest rates of obesity and mental health issues in the country. By working with the local council we are starting to see plans for better community support and facilities come to the fore. I will fight to ensure our local mental health services get an increase in funding to improve access to this vital support.

Improving Lives

  • People should not have to travel for hours when they are at their most vulnerable. I want to improve local services for those fighting our most deadly diseases, with earlier identification of cancers and heart diseases, and better mental health support.