Tag Archives: health

Lib Dems’ NHS pledge would mean an extra £42 million for Haringey Health Services

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Lynne Featherstone MP discusses the new Whittington Ambulatory Centre with a nurse.The Liberal Democrats are the only major party to have pledged £8 billion additional funding for our NHS, in accordance with advice from Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England.

Once implemented, the extra cash would mean at least extra £42 million in funding for Haringey’s health services, like hospitals, G.P.s and walk-in centres.

This morning, Lib Dem Health Minister Norman Lamb called for the Conservatives and Labour to also match the Lib Dem commitment – to ensure the service is protected regardless of who is in Government.

Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green, has a strong local record on securing additional funding. Her recent local campaigns for fairer health funding secured an extra £30 million for Haringey’s health services over the last two years.

Lynne Featherstone commented:

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party who have pledged the extra £8 billion needed by our NHS by 2020 – in accordance with the advice from the Chief Executive of NHS England.

“We believe the NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery, and delivered base on need rather than ability to pay. That’s why we’re committed to giving the NHS the funding it needs to carry on providing a high quality service.

“The extra £42 million would be most welcome in Haringey – for our hard working NHS staff and patients alike. The fairer funding is making a difference, but further resources would be most welcome.

“I hope the other parties will now follow the Lib Dem lead and pledge the money the NHS needs.”

Haringey GPs and patients to benefit from funding boost

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An extra £550 million of NHS funding has been announced by the Government to improve access to GPs, modernise GP surgeries, and improve out-of-hospital care.

Seven practices in Haringey – including the Vale Practice, Crouch Hall Road Surgery and Evergreen House Surgery – are receiving a share of the extra money.

For patients, this will mean:

  • more evening and weekend, video, email and telephone consultations, the equivalent of 8,000 more appointments a day
  • redevelopment of their existing practices, to increase clinical space and offer additional services
  • greater access to pharmacists, nurses and speech therapists from local GP surgeries
  • more personalised advice from pharmacists who will be able to access medical records
  • more tests, treatments and services offered closer to people’s homes, including minor operations and blood tests

The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have pledged £8 billion in extra funding for the entire NHS – in line with advice from NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens.

Liberal Democrat candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone, commented:

“The extra funding is a welcome boost for our GPs, surgeries and local patients.

“Access to healthcare should be free at the point of delivery and based on need alone. That’s why this extra money to improve access to GPs and to modernise local services is so important. It should also go some way to reducing A&E traffic.

“The Lib Dems are the only party who have pledged an extra £8 billion for the NHS by 2020, so that even more vital improvements can be made to frontline services – in accordance with advice from NHS England.”

Health Minister addresses local residents at public meeting

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Health Minister Norman Lamb addresses the audience in Hornsey

Health Minister Norman Lamb addressed over 50 local residents last night at a public meeting organised by local MP Lynne Featherstone.

Norman Lamb MP spoke about his work in the Department of Health to:

  •  Introduce set waiting times for mental health conditions
  • Commit £1.25 billion towards children’s mental health service
  • Introduce the first ever cap on social care costs to protect people in old age

The Minister for Care and Support then took questions from the audience – and addressed concerns about private providers and NHS funding.

The rate of NHS privatisation has slowed drastically under the Coalition Government. In the last four years of Labour’s Government, 4.4% of the NHS was contracted out to private providers.

The Liberal Democrats are the only party who have pledged an extra £8 billion a year for our NHS by 2020, in line with what the Chief Executive of NHS England says is needed.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“All of us are really proud of our NHS – and we have all benefitted from it at some point in our lives, and it absolutely must stay free at the point of delivery.

“To ensure this, the NHS needs funding. That’s why the NHS budget was exempt from cuts during this parliament, and why the Lib Dems have pledged an extra £8 billion in funding if we’re back in Government.

“It was great to have Norman here to talk about the work he’s doing on integrated care, mental health, social care and more. I hope residents enjoyed the opportunity to ask him questions directly.”

Public Meeting with Health Minister – tomorrow evening

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Lynne Featherstone and Norman Lamb celebrate the Whittington A&E being saved from the Labour Government's planned closureHealth Minister Norman Lamb MP will attend a local public meeting tomorrow, to discuss NHS funding, mental health services, integrated care and more.

The meeting – which has been arranged by local Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone – will take place from 7.15pm – 8.30pm at Greig City Academy – with doors opening at 7pm.

Local residents will have the chance to raise questions with the Minister.

In Government, the Liberal Democrats have:

The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have pledged an extra £8bn in NHS funding if they are in Government after May.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“Liberal Democrats believe that the NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery. In Government, Norman Lamb and his team have protected the NHS budget and put mental health on the agenda.

“I’m very much looking forward to welcoming Norman to the constituency, and hearing about the work he has done to protect the NHS, improve social care, and to ensure that mental health is on the same platform as physical health.

“The meeting is open to the public – if you’re interested in attending, please just turn up!”

Lynne Featherstone MP announces local public meeting with Health Minister

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Health Minister Norman Lamb will attend a public meeting in March, to discuss his work on the NHS, social care, and mental health with local residents.

The meeting – arranged by local MP Lynne Featherstone – will take place at 7:15pm on Wednesday 25th March at a venue in Hornsey.

Residents interested in attending should email Lynne Featherstone MP for details.

In Government, the Liberal Democrats have:

The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have pledged an extra £8bn in NHS funding if they are in Government after May.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“Liberal Democrats believe that the NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery. In Government, Norman Lamb and his team have protected the NHS budget and put mental health on the agenda.

“I’m very much looking forward to welcoming Norman to the constituency, and hearing about the work he has done to protect the NHS, improve social care, and to ensure that mental health is on the same platform as physical health.

“The meeting is open to the public – if you’re interested in attending, please contact me!”

Closing the gap on mental health

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ClosingtheGap

One in four of us will suffer from a mental health problem in our lifetime. It is a stark figure, made worse because there is still a stigma attached to psychological conditions.

To address this, Nick Clegg and the Lib Dem Care Minister, Norman Lamb, recently launched the Coalition Government’s new action plan for mental health.

The plan outlines 25 priorities for improving the support and care provided to those with mental health issues. These include integrating mental and physical health provision, promoting psychological wellbeing for children, and increasing access to care.

Priorities have been distorted for years. The last Labour Government introduced waiting times for hospitals, but they failed to bring them in for psychological treatment – this needs to change.

As Nick Clegg said, ‘it is time to bring mental health out of the shadows and to give people with mental health conditions the support they need and deserve’.

This will be a multi-agency approach, as it is not simply a matter for the NHS. Better support in education, employment, and housing will give people the help they need to get on.

Ignoring mental health now will just compound the problem in the future – so the Liberal Democrats in Government are taking action.

I am delighted that Nick Clegg has made this a priority. I strongly believe that these changes to mental health care will help create the fairer society we need, as well as providing a positive model for other countries.

Are you eligible for the flu jab?

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It’s that time of year again. No, not Christmas (yet!) –  I’m talking about flu season.

It might not be the most attractive topic for an MP to address, but I believe it is incredibly important that people are made aware of the free vaccine available from the NHS. Almost everyone can benefit from the jab, and so it’s well worth taking two minutes to sign up for it.

Whilst flu is just an irritant for some people, it can have very serious consequences for the elderly, the young, and those with underlying medical conditions. In particular, the Department of Health recommends the vaccine for:

  • Everyone over the age of 65, as well as two and three year olds.
  • All pregnant women.
  • Everyone living in a residential home, or working in care.
  • Everyone under 65 who has a heart condition, chest problems, kidney disease, poor immunity, diabetes, liver disease, a neurological condition or spleen issues.

New steps have been taken to encourage the vaccine for children as they tend to be more susceptible, and can pass on the illness to their siblings and friends very easily. A safe and effective nasal spray has been developed, which will be available to children over 2. This is a much quicker method of administration, and will hopefully avoid any tears!

It is worth bearing in mind that there are some people who shouldn’t have the jab – Certain types of vaccine are unavailable to those who have had a previous allergic reaction to a flu injection, those allergic to hens’ eggs, and people with certain immunodeficiencies. If you are unsure, consult your GP.

There are some common side effects, and like any other vaccine it can’t protect against 100% of influenza infections. However, for the vast majority of people involved, this year’s immunization drive will protect against up to four strains of the virus until late 2014.

The vaccine is a very effective way to avoid suffering from the flu this winter, and so I urge as many people as possible to go to their GP as soon as possible.

More information can be found at http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/flu-influenza-vaccine.aspx

Lynne Featherstone joins the world’s biggest coffee morning!

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Lynne Featherstone MP with Barclays’ staff and Macmillan representatives in Barclays, Wood GreenLynne Featherstone MP on Friday visited local businesses as part of cancer charity Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event: the world’s biggest coffee morning.

Macmillan runs the coffee morning event annually. They ask businesses, community groups and individuals to hold a coffee morning, where donations can be made. In 2012 115,000 people signed up to the coffee morning, raising a record £15 million.

The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green enjoyed coffee and cake at Barclays in Wood Green and then visited Coffee Republic, who had kindly provided Barclays with the food to raise money with.

The Liberal Democrat MP spoke to the shop staff and representatives from Macmillan, including Director of External Affairs Hilary Cross, about Macmillan’s work and aims for the coming year.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It was a pleasure to participate in such a fantastic event. It was great to see local businesses taking part in the coffee morning – so thank you to Barclays for hosting it and to Coffee Republic for so kindly providing all the food.

“There were plenty of other coffee mornings in and around Haringey, too. I hope Haringey has made a significant contribution to Macmillan’s fundraising efforts.

“Everyone knows someone who is affected by cancer – and it’s comforting to know that charities like Macmillan are working hard to raise money and support those in need.”

 

"It’s easy to miss the invisible…"

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Those words – from the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Disabilities, Shuaib Chalklen – have stuck with me today on my second and final day at the UN General Assembly.

He said them during a meeting at which I was trying to establish what more the UK could do to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the poorest parts of the world.

We are driving disability up the agenda, initially focusing on improving data and evidence with a new commitment on making schools that are directly funded by the Department for International Development inclusive.

But I am keen to learn what others are doing, share lessons and work together on this important issue. That’s why  I also had a very interesting meeting with USAID’s disability coordinator Charlotte McClain- Nhlapo and heard more about what the US Government  are doing to ensure their development work includes people with disabilities.

But those words – “it’s easy to miss the invisible” – apply to so many groups of vulnerable people around the world, including the LGBT community.

Earlier yesterday I attended a meeting of public and private donors supporting LGBT issues hosted by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, USAID and the Ford Foundation.

It was my opportunity to demonstrate my – and the UK’s – commitment to  LGBT  rights and hear what others are doing. But most importantly, I was able to meet others who feel as passionately about the issues of equality as I do and work with them to tackle exclusion and violence against LGBT people around the world.

Lynne Featherstone MP welcomes free school meals announcement

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Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has announced that every child in infant school in England will receive free school meals.

From September 2014, all infant school pupils (including 9,426 in Haringey) will benefit from a free hot and healthy meal at lunchtime.

This will save families around £400 a year per child, while helping to raise school standards and cut the attainment gap.

The announcement follows an independent review which found that, in pilots where all children had been given a free school dinner, students were academically months ahead of their peers elsewhere.

Commenting, Lynne Featherstone MP said

“Free meals did already exist for children from poorer backgrounds – but research showed that many were not claimed because parents were not aware of the option, or unwilling to admit they qualified.

“Making all infant school children eligible will remove this stigma – for parents and children.

“In addition, it will ensure that all children are receiving a nutritious, healthy and filling lunch, which is proven to have a positive impact on performance at school.

“The measure saves parents money, too. During the course of a year, the average family spends £400 on lunch for each child. Now, they will not have to spend this – which means that parents of the 9,426 eligible children in Haringey will collectively be £3.7million better off!

“The Liberal Democrats are committed to creating a fairer society by giving everyone an equal chance to succeed and get on in life – and this policy is a step in the right direction.”