WHETHER speaking to me, by email, by letter or in my surgeries, people in South East Cornwall often say that accessing healthcare locally can be extremely difficult.

A long drive to Treliske or Derriford is usually the only option available. Adding the lack of reliable public transport, there are many barriers to accessing healthcare in our area, which can put people off accessing the services that they need.

That’s why accessing healthcare services locally is a top priority of mine.

Over the past few months, I have been speaking to people locally and taken the issue to Parliament to set out the case for bringing more healthcare services locally into our communities. So, I am very pleased that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been selected as one of the first pilot areas for the new neighbourhood health service.

I support the new Ten-Year Health Plan which promises a shift, where appropriate, from hospital based care to more locally based care closer to the community, and the rollout of neighbourhood health services is a key step towards that goal. As someone who cared for a terminally ill family member, I know the difference to daily life that improved health services will make. I want to fight for the health care we need, to ensure it always remains free for all and delivered through our incredible NHS.

For us here in South East Cornwall, this announcement means that there is now funding available for new diagnostics, mental health, outpatients, post-op, rehab, nursing and social care closer to home. The Hospital League Tables showed that these issues were some of the areas where our Cornish health services were lagging behind the rest of the country. I spoke about this problem recently on the ITV Westcountry Debate so I am glad that action is being taken to directly address these areas that need development

More care in our communities means better treatment for us and addresses the unique challenges that we face in our area. It is great to see that the unique needs of rural and coastal communities like South East Cornwall are being addressed.

Moving into the future, I will be working closely with those involved to ensure that the rollout of these services also reflects the needs of people in South East Cornwall. So please do get in touch with me about what you think needs to be done to improve healthcare services in our communities. I can then continue to raise these concerns.

I know that public transport still needs to be improved so we can access acute care at major hospitals, go to school, or enjoy our hobbies. Many people have been in contact with me about the bus services in Saltash. I have been working with Stagecoach and supporting Saltash Town Council to address these issues. If you’ve been affected, please do get in touch with my office. Your experiences will help strengthen the case for urgent action in our community.