It is deeply concerning that Salisbury District Hospital’s overall Care Quality Commission rating has been downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’.
I am aware that action to address challenges is already a work in progress, with the ongoing development of the new Diagnostic and Surgical Hub.
I am visiting the hospital this week to discuss both the grading and future developments in detail. I stand ready to assist in any way I can to help local NHS leaders respond to the findings and assure patients and families of the standard of treatment they can expect to receive.
It is no surprise to me – and it is a tribute to the commitment of staff – that levels of care, responsiveness and clinical outcomes remain relatively strong.
But, of course, it is alarming to hear that some of the facilities and practices around surgery may be leading to elevated levels of risk and prompt steps must and will be taken to rectify these issues.
As regular readers will know, I spent last week hosting my first ever summer school, giving a group of local 17–20-year-olds an insight into all aspects of the work of an MP.
The week included a session surveying local people on their political priorities.
Walking around Longhedge and chatting to homeowners, I was moved to reflect anew on the importance of infrastructure in creating a sense of place.
The shops there are so well used, and the public spaces have matured even since I was last there.
How much more desirable it would be if every development fully anticipated all the needs of future residents before any new homes were sold – including roads, pharmacies, mobile signal, and internet connectivity.
The planning system must use all the leverage it can to ensure that developers front load their contributions to community cohesion.
In recent weeks, my inbox has been full of people expressing alarm about the prospect of Assisted Dying being revived as a Private Members Bill.
I have replied that, notwithstanding my own reservations, I believe that such a complex and sensitive piece of legislation is not suitable for a PMB, but should receive the fullest measure of scrutiny, which is accorded to government-sponsored legislation.
I am sure some of my correspondents will have been reassured to hear that Andy Burnham apparently shares that view.
The trade-offs are also worth considering. The costs of implementing assisted dying would, in my view, be better spent on first delivering consistently high quality palliative care.
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