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September 09 posts
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jgale | 
24 September 2009 at 20:19 | 357 views
This week looks like being a busy one for me. I start at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, where I have over 40 meetings to attend and speeches to make.
On Thursday I will be back in our area, and after a visit to the dentist (no problems I hope!), I will be calling in at the sheltered housing scheme in Milford Park in Yeovil to meet local residents. On Thursday night I have to return to Bournemouth, for BBC TV’s “Question Time” programme, with David Dimbleby.
On Friday, I will be travelling to Chilton Cantelo School, where there will be a celebration of the fundraising achievement of the team under Colour Sergeant Jim Coulter from RNAS Yeovilton – this is the team which raised money for “Help for Heroes” by doing a 13 mile marathon carrying a full Sea King rotor blade! They deserve every pound that they have raised for this excellent charity! There will be a large cheque for around £750 presented by the great team from Ilminster, who raised this from a “Desert Islands Discs” evening with me a couple of weeks ago – well done to all those involved, and thanks to those who gave so generously.
Last week I was again able to spend almost all my time in our area, and I held two Roving Advice Centres in Yeovil Without and Brympton, as well as visits to three sheltered housing schemes in Mudford and Chard.
On Tuesday morning I visited Merriott, to pick up a local petition about a recent decline in local bus services. Over 100 residents had signed the petition, and most complaints were about delayed services and cuts in the number of buses on particular routes. The hourly Merriott service to Crewkerne seems to have been cut to a two hourly service – a big change.
Some local routes have recently been taken over by Stagecoach, and people are telling me that many of the services are running with big delays. I have heard this in Merriott, Winsham and in Yeovil. I am very concerned to hear this, and I have written to Stagecoach and to Somerset County Council to see what action can be taken to address this.
If you are aware of any recent problems on bus routes, then please do let me know. And if your bus keeps arriving late, then please note down the length of delay and the day and time of the service, and let me know – that will allow me to raise specific issues with the bus company, whose Managing Director I hope to meet soon.
On Tuesday, I also met up with local councillor Paull Robathan in South Petherton. A decision is expected this week on whether the Strategic Health Authority in the South West is going to sign off the plans for the complete rebuilding of South Petherton Hospital. I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed that this long running campaign will finally come to its successful conclusion. I am determined that this hospital will be rebuilt, and it was one of the issues which I committed myself to fight on in my last General Election Campaign.
The people of South Petherton and the surrounding area could not have done more to back the hospital plans, and they have turned up in meeting after meeting to signal their support, and their determination! A particular thanks to the marvellous Mary Robertson, who has led the campaign so effectively, and who has put so much time and energy into this.
On Wednesday, I spent half the day visiting Preston Secondary School and Westfield Secondary School, in Yeovil. Head Teacher Tony Bloxham gave me a very detailed briefing on the good progress at Preston School, and at Westfield Head Teacher Chris Hunt showed me all the improvements put in over the school holidays. In particular, the dining room/canteen at the school has had a big upgrade, and looks fantastic – complete with some brilliant art which has been created by the pupils.
On Wednesday evening I attended a meeting of the South West Inventors Club in Yeovil – and saw a very impressive range of new inventors. I would like to see some of these ideas in “Dragons Den” or with support from banks and the Government.
On Thursday, I was pleased to be able to visit the Children’s Centre, next to Reckleford Infants School. The Centre has been in operation for three years now, and is clearly busy and popular – my thanks to all those who have worked so hard on this.
Ever,
David.
PS: My next Advice Centres are in: Yeovil (Friday 25th September, Saturday 3rd October, Friday 23rd October), Chard (Saturday 10th October), Ilminster and Crewkerne (Saturday 17th October). All details from my Yeovil Office on 01935 423284.
jgale | 03 September 2009 at 12:38 | 349 views
So, the “great” summer of 2009 is over!
The evenings are already drawing in, and the nights are getting chillier. The day when the heating has to be switched on already looms into view.
But it is not unusual, each year, to have a late summer burst of good weather, sometime in September. It is often during the week of our Party Conference, and I can remember many a warm and blue-skied day in Brighton or Bournemouth during this period. These sunny days are all the more welcome in that they arrive after we had assumed that our summer was over, and after we have settled in for the long slog of a British winter.
The “summer” days for public spending also seem to be coming to an end. The country is settling in for a long winter of public spending austerity.
But there may still be some late summer days to celebrate here, too, and in the weeks and months ahead I hope that we will still have some good news in relation to additional education and health services to benefit our local area.
Next week, for example, I have been asked to open the new “GP Led Health Centre” in Yeovil, which will provide health care from 8am to 8pm for all 365 days each year. The new facility is being funded by “NHS Somerset” – the local Primary Care Trust – and it is based on the first floor of the Boots store in Yeovil.
Any member of the public can access this centre, whether you live in Yeovil or not, and it will be of help to people who work in or around Yeovil but who live elsewhere – and who may want to access medical treatment during the working day.
A consortium of local GPs, working under the name “Pathways Health and Social Care Alliance”, were awarded the contract to run the new service. Dr. Paul Scott, from the Hamdon Medical Practice, is the centre’s new Medical Director.
The health centre can assist people with a wide range of medical conditions and services, including: stomach problems; skin complaints; blood pressure checks; injuries; women’s health issues; diagnostic tests.
The centre has been developed with £1m of support from central government grants. The new facility should help to boost primary care services in our area, and ensure even more convenient access.
In the next few weeks, we are also expecting a decision from the Strategic Health Authority on the rebuilding of South Petherton Hospital. It has been an awful long time since the old hospital had to be closed, after a part of the ceiling in one of the wards fell down a few years ago. The people of South Petherton have never wavered in their determination to see a new hospital open on the existing South Petherton site. Plans are now well advanced, but final approval has to be given by the regional Health Authority.
We cannot take anything for granted, but I would be very disappointed if we did not get the green light soon for this important project.
A silver lining from the temporary closure of the existing hospital is that some of the existing nursing staff were re-deployed into a “STARS” team. Don’t ask me what this stands for, because I have now forgotten! But, in essence, the STARS team help to support people who are ill but who want to be cared for in their own homes. I have heard nothing but praise for this team, and they have won national recognition. I very much hope that this service will be continued in the future, even after (fingers crossed) the new hospital at South Petherton is approved.
Finally, in terms of “late summer days”, we will soon have the new primary school in Yeovil, on the Parcroft site – as a replacement of the Parcroft and Westfield schools. This £8 million project will produce a new “state of the art” all through primary school for Yeovil. I have seen the development from the outside, but I am really looking forward to seeing the inside of the new school. Our young people and our school staff deserve the very best environment in which to learn.
Ever,
David.