As we go through March, last week was another busy and productive one for me in Parliament, which saw me hold a debate on the need for the Government to do more to support our pollack fishermen on Monday, as well as speaking in the Budget debate and the debate on the Bill currently going through Parliament that will see National Insurance Contributions people pay cut from April this year.
As well as this it was also good to take part in a number of
meetings, including with Heathrow Airport, one showcasing our Tri Service
Safety Officers, and one on fairness of fuel prices, as well an event to
promote the Pharmacy First initiative.
I have always been a passionate champion for our community
pharmacies and the excellent health services they provide.
As former Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for
Pharmacies it was great to work with our brilliant pharmacies in Cornwall in
piloting the Pharmacy First initiative.
Pharmacy First enables pharmacists to utilise more of their
medical skills and training. Patients using the service can receive treatment
for seven common health conditions from their local pharmacy without the need
to visit a GP or have a prescription.
Their pharmacist helps with conditions include sinusitis,
sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and
uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. Following the assessment, the
pharmacist can then supply the prescription-only medicines, including
antibiotics and antivirals, to treat the problem
The Pharmacy First approach not only speeds up access to
essential care for patients, but also help to reduce pressure on local GP
services by directing people to more appropriate places to be treated. Backed
by up to £645 million, 95 per cent of pharmacies across England have opted-in
so far, meaning that patients will be able to receive care more quickly without
the need to wait for a GP appointment.
The Pharmacy First approach builds on the other measures
outlined in the Primary Care Recovery Plan last spring, including tackling the
8am rush by giving GPs new digital tools and providing more GP staff and more
appointments.
In combination, the Primary Care Recovery Plan aims to free
up 10 million GP appointments a year nationally by next winter, and give the
public more choice in where and how they access care.
As the Pharmacy First initiative has already been running in
Cornwall successfully for some time, it’s great to see that the rest of the
country will now be able to experience the exceptional service that we in
Cornwall already have, and it was good to again highlight this at the event in
Parliament last week. I will continue to work with the Government to support
our pharmacies and the excellent teams that work there, in order to ensure they
remain a pivotal part of our health care system.
With all my activity in Parliament it was nice to be
recognised last week as the MP who has contributed more to Parliamentary
debates in the first two months of the year than any other MP in the South
West, and in fact, showed that I made the seventh highest number of
contributions in January and February in Parliamentary debates among
Conservative backbenchers nationally, and was ranked 11th overall among
backbench MPs of all parties across the country.
Of course 2024 is only going to get busier, and I will
continue to work hard both in Parliament and in Cornwall to ensure the voices
of the people I represent are heard loud and clear.
As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office
is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726
829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk
