a3 focus february 2019 · overloaded doctors in england. your gp is working hard just to paper over...

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Where have all our GPs gone? Whatever you do, don’t get sick in Horsham News from your local Lib Dem team: Louise Potter and Matt Allen on Broadbridge Heath FOCUS Do you find it hard to get a GP appointment when you need it? You’re not the only one. Broadbridge Heath residents really do have a bad deal. It turns out that Tory- controlled Horsham has almost the worst access to GPs in England! One thing’s for sure. It’s not your GP’s fault. A BBC report on January 19th reveals average GP availability for all to see. And the facts show that your Horsham GP is likely to be one of the most overloaded doctors in England. Your GP is working hard just to paper over the cracks. The Horsham and Mid Sussex area has just 1 GP for almost 3,000 patients. In the whole of England, only Swale in Kent is worse off. But if you’re lucky enough to live in Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire each GP has only 1,200 patients on their books. Different areas have different needs. But comparing the best with the worst, there are twice as many GPs. It’s a postcode lottery and Horsham is the unlucky loser! Prof. Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, believes the health service is 6,000 doctors short of what it needs today. That means care has to be considered ‘not safe’ in some areas. So the moral of this story is….whatever you do, don’t get sick in Horsham. Not till we have a chance to sort out this mess! How did Horsham slip so far behind? Everyone knows the NHS has been squeezed. But Horsham is far from the poorest part of the country – so how did things get this bad? It goes beyond money, to failings of management, and poor planning by the Tory council & Government. Former Horsham GP, Dr David Skipp (a Lib Dem Councillor), has seen this happen at first hand. “Although the Government’s pledge of additional funding is welcome,” Dr Skipp says, “money alone will not solve this very complex problem. Much of the problem relates to poor planning at national and regional level over many years.” ‘Shock and anger over poor GP access’ (West Sussex County Times 23 rd Feb ‘19) County Councillor Morwen Millson set out the case for more GPs in Horsham in a letter in the West Sussex County Times on January 24th. We’ve also called on Jeremy Quin, the Horsham MP, for an explanation. The more noise we make, the sooner we’ll get some action! The LibDems also support ideas that are working well in other areas: A home visiting service – many commissioning groups make Paramedic Practitioners available for home visits, instead of a GP appointment Streamlined patient care - NHS and social care staff work together in teams with GPs, local hospital staff and community workers in what are known as ‘Communities of Practice’ Finally, the Lib Dems want to make better use of Horsham Hospital, as a community hub for medical services. Dr David Skipp, leader of Horsham District Council Lib Dems has been campaigning on this for several years. He wants to see more out-patient clinics, and better use of the rehabilitation facilities in the hospital, as well as more integration of local GP services. The Lib Dems recognise the need to improve parking and public transport so that patients and visitors can access the hospital more easily, and will work to integrate the efforts of the NHS and the District and County Councils to achieve this. Your Broadbridge Heath Focus Team Louise Potter Louise has lived in Horsham since her family moved to the town 34 years ago. She attended primary school in Broadbridge Heath before moving onto Tanbridge House School and Collyer’s Sixth Form College. She read History at University and is now a teacher of History and Politics at a school in Crawley. Louise lives in Broadbridge Heath and is married to Matt Potter and they have three sons. In her spare time she enjoys taking the dog on long family walks and visiting National Trust locations. Louise is also the Liberal Democrat candidate for the next General Election. Matt Allen Matt has lived in Horsham his entire life, attending Forest Boys and Collyer’s Sixth Form College. He spent his teenage years working on the checkouts of the Broadbridge Heath supermarket and currently studies Economics at University where he works part time in IT support. Matt enjoys spending time with friends and watching sport, in particular football and cricket. Liberal Democrats - demanding better

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Page 1: A3 focus February 2019 · overloaded doctors in England. Your GP is working hard just to paper over the cracks. The Horsham and Mid Sussex area has just 1 GP for almost 3,000 patients

Where have all our GPs gone?Whatever you do, don’t get sick in Horsham

News from your local Lib Dem team:Louise Potter and Matt Allen

on Broadbridge HeathFOCUS

Do you find it hard toget a GP appointmentwhen you need it?You’re not the onlyone. BroadbridgeHeath residents reallydo have a bad deal.

It turns out that Tory-controlled Horsham hasalmost the worst accessto GPs in England!

One thing’s for sure. It’snot your GP’s fault. ABBC report on January19th reveals average GPavailability for all to see. And the facts show thatyour Horsham GP is likely to be one of the mostoverloaded doctors in England. Your GP is workinghard just to paper over the cracks.

The Horsham and Mid Sussex area has just 1 GP foralmost 3,000 patients. In the whole of England,only Swale in Kent is worse off. But if you’re luckyenough to live in Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshireeach GP has only 1,200 patients on their books.

Different areas have different needs. Butcomparing the best with the worst, there are twiceas many GPs. It’s a postcode lottery and Horshamis the unlucky loser!

Prof. Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the RoyalCollege of General Practitioners, believes thehealth service is 6,000 doctors short of what itneeds today. That means care has to be considered‘not safe’ in some areas.

So the moral of this story is….whatever you do,don’t get sick in Horsham. Not till we have achance to sort out this mess!

How did Horsham slip so far behind?Everyone knows the NHS has been squeezed. ButHorsham is far from the poorest part of thecountry – so how did things get this bad? It goesbeyond money, to failings of management, andpoor planning by the Tory council & Government.

Former Horsham GP, Dr David Skipp (a Lib DemCouncillor), has seen this happen at first hand.“Although the Government’s pledge of additionalfunding is welcome,” Dr Skipp says, “money alonewill not solve this very complex problem. Much ofthe problem relates to poor planning at nationaland regional level over many years.”

‘Shock and anger over poor GPaccess’ (West Sussex County Times 23rd Feb ‘19)

County Councillor Morwen Millson set out the casefor more GPs in Horsham in a letter in the WestSussex County Times on January 24th. We’ve alsocalled on Jeremy Quin, the Horsham MP, for anexplanation. The more noise we make, the soonerwe’ll get some action! The LibDems also supportideas that are working well in other areas:

● A home visiting service – many commissioninggroups make Paramedic Practitioners availablefor home visits, instead of a GP appointment

● Streamlined patient care - NHS and social carestaff work together in teams with GPs, localhospital staff and community workers in whatare known as ‘Communities of Practice’

Finally, the Lib Dems want to make better use ofHorsham Hospital, as a community hub for medicalservices. Dr David Skipp, leader of Horsham DistrictCouncil Lib Dems has been campaigning on this forseveral years. He wants to see more out-patientclinics, and better use of the rehabilitation facilitiesin the hospital, as well as more integration of localGP services. The Lib Dems recognise the need to

improve parking andpublic transport so thatpatients and visitors canaccess the hospital moreeasily, and will work tointegrate the efforts ofthe NHS and the Districtand County Councils toachieve this.

Your BroadbridgeHeath Focus Team

Louise PotterLouise has lived inHorsham since herfamily moved to thetown 34 years ago. Sheattended primaryschool in BroadbridgeHeath before movingonto Tanbridge HouseSchool and Collyer’s

Sixth Form College. She read History atUniversity and is now a teacher of Historyand Politics at a school in Crawley.

Louise lives in Broadbridge Heath and ismarried to Matt Potter and they have threesons. In her spare time she enjoys takingthe dog on long family walks and visitingNational Trust locations. Louise is also theLiberal Democrat candidate for the nextGeneral Election.

Matt Allen

Matt has lived inHorsham his entirelife, attending ForestBoys and Collyer’sSixth Form College.He spent his teenageyears working on thecheckouts of theBroadbridge Heathsupermarket andcurrently studies Economics at Universitywhere he works part time in IT support.

Matt enjoys spending time with friends andwatching sport, in particular football andcricket.

Liberal Democrats -demanding better

Page 2: A3 focus February 2019 · overloaded doctors in England. Your GP is working hard just to paper over the cracks. The Horsham and Mid Sussex area has just 1 GP for almost 3,000 patients

Over the past eight years, West SussexCounty Council has made ‘budgetarysavings’ - cuts - of £145 million.Louise Potter says, “There were major cuts inyouth services, support for older people’s careneeds, & bus services.”

The Tory-run Council will increase Council Taxby 4.9% from April, but will still make more cutsto balance its budget.

The cuts include slashing grants in housingsupport for vulnerable people and women’srefuges, and emergency assistance for those inneed. Highways maintenance and bus serviceswill be hit again.

Most councils are making cuts, due to a triplewhammy of Government grant cuts, cappedCouncil Tax and greater demand for servicesfor adults, children and young people in care.

Matt Allen says, “Age UK has estimated thatmore than 50,000 older people have died,waiting in vain for care, during the 700 dayssince the Government first said it would publisha Social Care Green Paper in March 2017. TheLiberal Democrats would put a penny onincome tax to invest in social care.”

Louise adds, “The current Government hasforgotten that its main role is to provide decentservices for the people it is meant to serve. I knowthat people are really struggling. Amber Rudd has at

last admitted that theGovernment’s own policy hasdriven many people into poverty,but many families need urgentchanges to the system.”

Morwen Millson, former Lib DemParliamentary candidate says,“Local Tory councillors complainthat the Government is forcingthem to make these toxic cuts. Butresidents know that, withConservatives in control at everylevel in West Sussex, the Toriesare to blame for the cuts that arehurting local people.”

Printed by Forest Print, 76 Comptons Lane, Horsham, RH13 6BJ Published and promoted on behalf of Louise Potter and Matt Allen and Horsham Liberal Democrats, all at 6 Coniston Close, Horsham RH12 4GU

LET US KNOW YOUR VIEWS

Crisis in County fundingServices for all residents to be hit

Age UK Horsham - one of the local organisations picking up the pieces!

Broadbridge Heath Liberal Democratsworking for you

Two issues that have frequently beenbrought to our attention by BroadbridgeHeath residents, both on the doorstep andin correspondence to us, are streetlighting and dog fouling. In particular, anumber of people raised that they wouldlike to see lighting around the VillageGreen so that they can take their dogs forwalks there more easily in the wintermonths. We raised this with the ParishCouncil who have kindly agreed toinvestigate the possibility of lighting in thislocation. We are continuing to follow upon the issues surrounding dog fouling anddog waste bins in the village. HorshamDistrict Council are now carrying out morefrequent bin collections in some areas andthey are continuing to review thesituation.

Your Broadbridge Heath

Help us push for the things that matter most toyou and your family. Fill in our quick survey andsend it back to us (12 Edwards Close, BroadbridgeHeath, RH12 3PL or email us at [email protected] [email protected]):

Worst street for speeding:

Worst maintained pavement:

Worst street for parking:

What would you like to change most inBroadbridge Heath:

Name:Address:Email:Phone:

Can you help our campaign to turnBroadbridge Heath Liberal Democrat?

Please tell us here what you can do to help:

Can we keep you updated by email and phone? If you enter your emailand/or phone number above, we will use them to contact you inaccordance with our Fair Processing Notice below and Privacy Policy atwww.libdems.org.uk/privacy

If you return this leaflet, the Liberal Democrats, locally and nationally,may use information provided, including your political views, to furtherour objectives, share it with our elected representatives and/or contactyou in future using any of the means provided. Some contacts may beautomated. You may opt out of some or all contacts or exercise yourother legal rights by contacting us. Further details are in our PrivacyPolicy at www.libdems.org.uk/privacy.

Lib Dems pledge to buildhousing for key workers

A Liberal Democrat controlled district council will build anew generation of affordable housing, to be available tokey public sector workers in Horsham District. The homeswill be owned and managed by Horsham District Councilfor those who need them most.

Lib Dem Leader Dr David Skipp says, “This is a first step tocreate a fairer and more prosperous District. It’s clear thatHorsham District has a crisis in affordable housing, but theLib Dems are the only party in Horsham with the policiesto fix our housing crisis. The Tories talk about needingmore affordable homes. but they don’t walk the walk.”

To prove David’s point, the Tories voted down a Lib Demamendment to next year’s budget. It would have provided£6 million over the next three years for affordable homes.This was a prudent proposal, as the Council has significantreserves available, and it would provide much neededhomes for families and individuals.

Results of our survey for Broadbridge HeathresidentsThank you to everyone who responded toour recent survey for the residents ofBroadbridge Heath. In the survey the keyproblems that you identified in BroadbridgeHeath were dangerous pavements and dogfouling. In response to the question aboutroad safety and transport, the keys issues

that you felt needed to be improved wereillegal parking, speeding traffic and potholes.We are already looking at how we canimprove the issues raised by residents in oursurvey and we will keep you updated withour progress. If you have any BroadbridgeHeath issues that you would like to raisewith us, then please do using the contactdetails below.