THERE’S good progress being made to improve healthcare services in South East Cornwall, but there’s still more to do.

I am looking at how to make our existing services fit for purpose, bringing more healthcare into our communities, and I’m raising awareness about how our healthcare needs often differ from other areas. It’s critical that we get all of this right, so I wanted to set out some more updates about the work I am doing.

In Liskeard, many local people have been in contact with me concerning Rosedean Surgery and issues that they have been experiencing. So, I recently wrote to the executive team at One Medicare, highlighting your experiences. I asked them about the plans they have put in place to improve patient satisfaction. Accessing healthcare locally is crucial, and my services survey highlighted that 92 per cent of respondents access primary healthcare, such as GP appointments, locally. So, getting this right is really important for our communities, and I will always champion the needs of local residents.

I am pleased that the surgery is taking these issues seriously and that their response emphasised how they are listening to the concerns of their patients. They have already taken steps to move their CQC rating from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’ and will carry on working hard so patients see improvements over the next few months. I will continue to engage with the surgery to ensure that the improvements take place and that residents can access the standard of care that they expect from their local GP practice.

I’ve also been continuing to raise the dental issues that we face here in South East Cornwall. I have previously asked a parliamentary question to the Department for Health and Social Care about recruitment and retention in rural areas like ours and I recently asked the Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, for a meeting to discuss the urgency of the issue. I am glad that the department has acknowledged how serious this is and I will continue to ensure that our concerns are heard in Parliament.

This week is also Check Your Defib Week, which calls on local Defibrillator Guardians to check the devices that they are responsible for, ensuring that they are visible, accessible and in working order. I’m encouraging all of our Defibrillator Guardians to check their devices this week to ensure that these lifesaving bits of equipment continue to remain operational.

I was truly shocked to see vandalism at one of our defibs in Liskeard recently, so this week is a particularly important time to ensure that people are aware of how vital these pieces of lifesaving kit are.

Ultimately, improving healthcare and bringing more services into our communities is a top priority for me here in South East Cornwall. No one should have to struggle to access the care they need, and having services closer to home makes all the difference. I will continue raising these important issues so that our communities’ voices are clearly heard.