Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell visited Bracknell Area Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Support Group (BADHOGS), on Monday 19^th of September.  The meeting aimed at discussing the organisation’s report: ‘Survey of Deaf / Hard of Hearing users of GP services and Survey of Practice Managers’.  The meeting also assessed how changes in the NHS, SHA and PCT’s might affect the organization.

BADHOG’s Survey seeks to understand the experience of deaf and hard of hearing (HoH) in the Bracknell Forest area when making appointments with their GP and engaging in consultation with surgery staff and clinicians.  It also sought to understand the perspective of Practice Managers in relation to how these patients access GP services. Findings show that a significant majority of respondents (61%) felt that receptionists needed training for dealing with deaf and HoH patients, that there is a low use of the loop systems in surgeries and that generally practice managers were not aware of how to obtain information in formats accessible for deaf/HoH patients.

As a result some key recommendations were to encourage more GP practices to offer a greater variety of making appointments as well as to provide training for reception and medical staff to benefit people who are deaf/HoH. The suggestions made will improve the support of patients who will have an equal level of access to GP services and level of care at the practice surgery.

Dr Lee commented: “The meeting gave me valuable insights into the challenges that deaf and HoH people face living in Bracknell. I will fully support the BADHOGS to make sure that the deaf and HoH are well served by our GP practices.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, had a television interview with Meridian ITV today, the 1^st of August, regarding the future of  Heatherwood Hospital.  Dr. Phillip Lee supports the retention of services at Heatherwood hospital, but states that healthcare provision has to adapt to its growing demand.

Staff at Heatherwood Hospital is concerned to become redundant as Bracknell and Ascot population fears that the hospital may be closing in the future. Heatherwood Hospital has for a long time been cherished by the local community and serves a population of 450,000. The hospital provides services in orthopaedics, urology, maternity unit, minor injuries unit, diagnostics – MRI and X Ray, physiotherapy and outpatient clinics.

Dr Phillip Lee commented: “I think Heatherwood Hospital has a future. We need to work on a sustainable plan. We have to be realistic about how our healthcare will be in the future. First, the future of our healthcare system will lead to a centralisation of acute and emergency services on one site. And second, acute emergency spend per head should be equally spent within each region. I will fight for Heatherwood hospital to provide chronic care and rehabilitation services within a sustainable healthcare plan.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, had an interview with BBC Radio Berkshire today, the 1^st of August, regarding the closure of Heatherwood Hospital.  Phillip Lee states that he fully supports the retention of services at Heatherwood Hospital but recognises that these will be of chronic care and an elective nature.

Dr Phillip Lee is suggesting the need to provide services for a larger population that are affordable, acceptable and above all of the highest quality for his constituents. Dr Lee advises that local healthcare demand is not ideally served by the current location of the Heatherwood hospital and supports the need of a new hospital in the future to be at an accessible point to serve at least 650,000 people in a joint location with neighbouring constituencies on the M4. He suggests that the future of healthcare is going to be a split model with an increase of chronic care in the community and the need for consolidation of acute and emergency service sites.

Dr Phillip Lee commented: “I am determined to fight for the retention of appropriate services at Heatherwood Hospital. The Labour government did not improve healthcare provision despite a doubling of the national healthcare spent over the last 8 years. Going forward, Heatherwood Hospital can provide chronic care and rehabilitation services within a sustainable healthcare plan. I will be fighting hard to secure this.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell visited the newly opened Royal Berkshire Bracknell Clinic on Thursday the 21^st of July. During his visit Dr Lee met with staff and the Trust Chairman, Colin Maclean (pictured below with Dr Lee).

The recently built Bracknell Clinic is in use since June 2011 and aims to make it easier and less stressful for around 500 people a year receiving treatment. It is part of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Berks Hospital in Reading and is responsible for cancer and renal care across the county. The site is situated on the north western corner of the A329 London Road/A322 Broad Lane roundabout junction in Bracknell offering a good connection to Bracknell Town via bus.

Visiting the site, the most striking feature is the 50ft glass atrium containing the reception, a snack kiosk, staircases and lifts to the different levels. The hospital offers a 20-bed renal area, imaging, which will provide X-rays and other diagnostic tools, radiology, and areas for treatment using high-tech equipment, including a CT scanner and a linear accelerator (LinAc) machine, capable of providing highly-targeted radiotherapy. There will also be outpatients and consulting rooms, chemotherapy and pathology departments.

Dr Lee commented: “It is fantastic to have a high-quality cancer and renal treatment in a modern facility here in Bracknell”

Dr Phillip Lee’s speech in the House of Commons during the Contaminated Blood debate 14th October 2010

See Hansard extract of the speech here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101014/debtext/101014-0002.htm#10101429001862