On Friday 19th April, Suella Braverman MP convened her annual Fareham Health Summit. Constituents gathered at Fareham Leisure Centre to listen to and share their concerns with a panel of senior representatives from Fareham healthcare providers.
Following the success of last year’s summit, Suella decided to host this important community event again to give constituents an opportunity to discuss their concerns with those directly responsible.
Suella was pleased to host the following speakers:
- Dr John Knighton, Chief Medical Officer, Queen Alexandra Hospital
- Dr Zaid Hirmiz, Clinical Director for Transformation, HIOW Integrated Care Board
- Simon Cooper, Director of Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry, HIOW Integrated Care Board
- Dan Gibbs, Chief Delivery Officer, HIOW Integrated Care Board
- Stephen Didcott, Portfolio Manager, Fareham Community Hospital.
During presentations, QA Hospital confirmed that their new £58 million emergency department will be opening later this year, in November, which will significantly improve patient experiences.
HIOW Integrated Care Board acknowledged there has been a rise in demand for primary care services, and work is ongoing to improve the situation. For example, 219 care navigators have been recruited to improve signposting for patients.
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. Suella acknowledged this and informed guests that she will continue to raise her constituents' concerns on a local and national level, working to guarantee that all Fareham residents have access to the first-class healthcare they deserve.
Commenting, Suella said:
“We’ve had a really good discussion for a few hours. There are many local residents here talking about health services in Fareham with bosses from QA Hospital, the Integrated Care Board, and Fareham Community Hospital.
“There are lots of issues people have been raising, for example, access to GP services. It has been clear that for too long, it’s been really difficult for people with particular surgeries in Fareham to get quick access to a GP. It’s also been clear that dentistry has been a real problem.
“On the plus side, we’ve seen an improvement in services at Fareham Community Hospital, with a new renal dialysis centre opening just this year, building on the chemotherapy service that I supported last year.
“We’re seeing an urgent care department opening later this year at QA Hospital, and we’re also seeing more doctors and nurses being recruited throughout the country, in fact.
“Please stay in touch, and we’ll keep updating you and working for you to get better services in healthcare in Fareham.
“My thanks to all the panellists for their presentations and discussions and to the team at Fareham Leisure Centre for accommodating this important community event.”
