Parliament may be in summer recess as I’m writing this but, as a newly elected MP, my team and I are working hard to serve our community.
Dedicated volunteers are assisting me in setting up a constituency office and recruiting staff.
We have already responded to hundreds of emails, letters, and phone calls, addressing a wide range of concerns and queries from local residents.
Healthcare is my top priority for Winchester. It was the single biggest issue raised with me on the doorstep.
Since the General Election, it has come to light that the funding the Conservatives promised for a new hospital for Hampshire never existed. The Labour Chancellor revealed in July that, due to the blackhole in public finances, the Government would need to conduct a complete reset of the New Hospital Programme. As we await this review, I will be pushing for the best outcome for Winchester.
In response to the Chancellor’s announcement, I asked my first question in the House of Commons about the importance of investing in GPs, dental care, mental health care and public health. Medical professionals tell me the same thing time and time again: we must invest in primary care to keep people healthy in the community, rather than treating them in hospital when they get sick.
Regarding Winchester’s A&E, I recently met with Hampshire’s hospital chiefs to discuss the urgent concerns raised by residents and local healthcare professionals regarding the proposed reduction of services at our hospital. I am ensuring the voices of our residents are being heard. Access to acute care is not merely a matter of convenience, it is a matter of life and death.
We all know how difficult it can be to get an appointment with a GP. At a recent meeting in Parliament with the Royal College of General Practitioners, we discussed the shortage of GPs and how this can be rectified.
I’m working hard on the many other issues that the people in Winchester feel strongly about.
I recently met with the police to discuss everything from rural crime to the riots that have been seen in our cities. This was a good reminder that elected politicians need to be very careful with our choice of words. Emboldening thugs and hooligans by claiming they are standing up for British values makes the job of our fantastic but over-stretched police service so much harder.
The recent floods have once again caused significant disruption across our area. I visited homeowners in Alresford, where they faced the worst flooding they had seen in over twenty years.
On Winchester High Street, I met with the staff and owners of Wellbeing Pharmacy and Char Teas where I witnessed firsthand the damage that has been caused.
Before Parliament went into recess, I joined a cross-party parliamentary group on the climate. As a vet, protecting our environment has been a lifelong concern of mine. These recent floods show just how important this is.
On a personal note, it has taken me a month to recover fully from Covid. Thankfully, I am finally back running around the paths and trails of our beautiful countryside. This latest strain of Covid really knocked me for six, so it is a good reminder to keep up to date with our vaccines before the double whammy of the winter flu arrives.
As always, I am available to discuss any concerns you may have and to hear your thoughts on the issues affecting our community. You can contact me at danny@dannychambers.org.uk.
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