The NHS is a vital service, and one we all care about deeply. My mother worked as a nurse for 45 years, so it is particularly close to my heart. Doctors and nurses do an amazing job and want what is best for their patients, and we in return rely on being able to access dedicated healthcare where and when we need it.
Patients want an NHS with proper 7-day care, and we made a clear promise in our manifesto to deliver that for them. I have engaged local healthcare staff and managers in meetings to discuss the best way of ensuring the changes the government is making bring about these and other improvements.
Many local people still struggle to get a GP appointment and have to travel to QA for routine check-ups or minor injuries. To ease these pressures, I am working to expand the services offered at Fareham. I therefore set up Fareham Community Hospital Taskforce, bringing together Health Service Providers and Commissioners so that better collaboration can be achieved. The Taskforce has enabled a plan to emerge for greater usage of FCH.
Better healthcare services also mean ensuring treatment is available closer to those who need it. Fareham Community Hospital is a great facility, costing £20million and was underused for many years. We are now working to turn this around and with changes to FCH, including the new same-day-access-service, we are seeing encouraging improvements.
In March 2022, Fareham Community Hospital opened a brand-new 10-station Chemotherapy Unit in March 2022. In 2023, FCH opened a state-of-the-art 25-bed renal dialysis unit.
Hosting My Annual Health Summit
Every year, I host my Fareham Health Summit. This event provides local residents with an opportunity to listen to and share their concerns with a panel of senior representatives from Fareham healthcare providers.
At my last summit, QA Hospital confirmed that their new £58 million emergency department will be opening later this year, in November, which will significantly improve patient experiences.
Fareham Community Hospital reported positive usage figures, coming from the newly established renal dialysis unit and chemotherapy unit. Additionally, steps are being taken to improve patient experiences through the introduction of free wifi, free parking, investment in the hospital’s surroundings and carrying out regular cleaning inspections.
Following presentations, Fareham residents took part in a productive Q&A session. Guests put forward their concerns and shared their experiences with local health representatives, allowing for detailed responses and providing crucial feedback for the panellists. Common issues included access to GPs, access to NHS dentists and ambulance response times.
Despite improvements in some areas, the summit highlighted a number of long-standing difficulties that many members of the community face. I will continue to raise my constituents' concerns on a local and national level, working to guarantee that all Fareham residents have access to the first-class healthcare they deserve.
GP Appointments
In May 2024, I joined fellow Hampshire MPs for an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins MP, and senior representatives from NHS England to discuss the serious failures of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (HIOW ICB).
Time after time, the HIOW ICB has told us they have a plan, yet nothing seems to get done. Enough is enough. We need change, and things need to fundamentally improve. I’m glad to have put forward my concerns in detail with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
I am concerned that too many Fareham residents can’t see a GP—especially at Highlands, Westlands, Jubilee and Whiteley surgeries—and the situation has not improved in recent years, despite my constant calls for improvement on behalf of residents.
It had previously been agreed that a new GP surgery would be built at Welborne to meet the healthcare demands of 6,000 new homes. Unbelievably, the ICB reneged on their promise to deliver this, which will be disastrous for the surrounding surgeries and their patients. Today provided an important opportunity to emphasise my concerns over Welborne’s healthcare provisions with the Secretary of State.
It was clear that the Secretary of State shared my concerns over the ICB’s conduct and performance. I welcome that, as a result of the meeting, the Secretary of State has asked NHS England to produce a plan of action. I’m aware that the Secretary of State will then be meeting with the Chief Executive of the ICB. I look forward to following the developments of this issue closely.
FCH Future Vision Report
Following a public consultation in 2018 (see below), the FCH Taskforce has now published its Future Vision report which makes recommendations on how FCH services, accessibility and engagement should be improved and expanded.
You can read and download the full report by clicking the picture.
CONSULTATION
Since it was launched, delivering a high quality of care and ensuring the right services are available for patients sits at the heart of what the Taskforce does. I want patients and practitioners to determine the future direction of healthcare in Fareham and I have launched a consultation as an opportunity for everyone with a stake in FCH to have their say. We had hundreds of public respondents as well as the contribution of the Taskforce and we are now in the process of producing a document with the proposals and future vision of for FCH.
SDAS
The new same-day service, also referred to as Fareham Primary Care Service, was launched in September 2017 and will involve four GP practices in the borough – Highlands Practice in Fareham, Jubilee Surgery in Titchfield, Stubbington Medical Practice, and Whiteley Surgery – working together to provide the service.
The service will only be for patients registered at the four participating practices during the initially period, with the Fareham & Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) looking to expand if successful.
The way the service will operate is by the patient first phoning their GP practice as normal and, if they ask for a same-day appointment they will be asked if their details can be shared with the service. Patients will be called back by the service in order of clinical priority with the nurse or GP having a detailed conversation with them. The patient may be given advice on how to take care of themselves, arrangements made for medication to be available at a pharmacy or an appointment offered. The service will be run from Fareham Community Hospital, with appointments being held there if a patient is offered one.
I am proud to have led the Taskforce which has campaigned since 2015 for greater use of FCH, including utilising its facilities for Same-Day-Access-Services. The Taskforce has worked hard over the last two years to secure increased services at Fareham Community Hospital and I am very grateful to the CCG, NHS Trusts, other local and community groups that have helped to secure change.
LOCAL HEALTH NEEDS: DIABETES, EPILEPSY, DEMENTIA
Better preventative care and public health awareness are also important, and I am working to support certain health groups where a real problem has been identified locally: Fareham and Gosport has the highest rate of limb amputation due to diabetes and so I am working for increased understanding of diabetes and the measures that people can take to minimise the risk of that illness. I have also helped establish a local Epilepsy support group, and am a Dementia Friend, supporting the Alzheimer's Society locally.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is as important as physical health. Every year, mental health problems will affect one in four people, which is more people than will develop heart disease or cancer. Whether it is depression, dementia, schizophrenia, alcohol or drug related illnesses, mental health problems can have a tragic effect on peoples' lives.
I hope to play a vital role in securing good quality support for people in Fareham, as well as promoting mental health at a national level. I am pleased that we will increase funding for mental health care, boosting funding of children's mental health services by £1.25 billion over the next five years. We are also committed to providing more mental health support to women during and after pregnancy, and have pledged to end the practice of using police cells as "places of safety" for those experiencing a mental health crisis by ensuring proper provision of health and community-based places of safety.
Solent Mind is a great charity, providing advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They have a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am -6pm, Monday-Friday).
I take a keen interest in local health services and regularly meet with local GPs, junior doctors, paramedics, hospital staff and managers.
