Martins round up

So a really busy 10 days

As I said in my last update I visited some activities being provided for senior citizens based in the Blackdown Hills Aonb. It was fabulous to see a great band of volunteers, working with the group members to combat the isolation that is felt by so many people in rural areas.

At the beginning of last week I was guest speaker at the East Coker - Time to share group. With the title 'Amusing Tales of a Parliamentary Candidate'  it was good to meet the members of that group, and I got to judge the table top competition, of political memerobilia. There was a good selection, including two lumps of masonry from the Houses of Parliament! 

On Tuesday of last week I headed up to Coventry for a training course, and had a dreadful journey back on the Train from Birmingham. With cancellations, fake delays, and a general lack of consideration for the travelling passenger. The privatisation of the railways means that the train company was blaming network rail, network rail was blaming someone else, and the staff at Birmingham New Street (who were very good) had no clue as to what was happening. That's why I was pleased that we have seen announcements on rail franchising from Labour, which could potentially see the train networks coming back as one.

On Thursday I began my summer campaign calling for a guarantee of a GP appointment within 48 hours.  as well as press and social media, we are also visiting Crewkerne, Chard, And Yeovil with a petition. My team will be out and about every Saturday this August, so come and have a chat if you spot us. (We are in crewkerne this coming Saturday morning (16th August) 

On Friday I has my own experience with the NHS as I had an accident that led to me getting a nasty cut on the forehead. The people in A&E were amazing, but it did mean that on Saturday when were were doing our petition in yeovil I got a number of very strange looks, with half my forehead covered in plaster and bandage.

I think my next talk might have to be Health and safety for parliamentary candidates!

Sick of waiting for a GP?

Sick of waiting for a GP?

 

As a local Labour PPC I spend a great deal of time meeting with local people, listening to their hopes and concerns. Something I hear more and more about is the National Health Service.

 

People tell me it’s getting harder to see the family doctor. David Cameron scrapped Labour’s guarantee of a GP appointment within 48 hours- and now 60 per cent of patients say they can’t see their GP within two days.

 

Sign Labours petition to guarantee GP access within 48 hours at labour.org.uk/48hours

 

Thousands of nurses and frontline staff have been lost from the NHS since David Cameron

became Prime Minister and disturbingly, experts say that A&Es don’t have safe staffing levels.

 

If you are unfortunate enough to be waiting for a treatment like a cataract removal or knee

operation, these are now being rationed.

 

David Cameron is responsible for this crisis. He has wasted £3 billion on a damaging NHS

reorganisation he promised wouldn’t happen. And Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems have been too weak to stand up to David Cameron and have backed the Tories all the way.

 

Meanwhile cuts to elderly care are sending more elderly people to A&E and making it harder for them to get the care they need at home.

 

Labour rescued the NHS after years of Tory neglect before and we’ll do it again. We’ll repeal David Cameron’s NHS changes that put private profit before patients so that NHS

professionals can focus on your care.

 

And we’ll get started by guaranteeing a GP appointment within 48 hours and on the same day for those who need it.

 

But the General Election isn’t until next year and that’s why I’m organising a campaign now to call on David Cameron to guarantee a GP appointment within 48 hours straight away.

 

Please take a moment to sign my petition to guarantee GP access within 48 hours

 

labour.org.uk/48hours

 

Martin