Meeting with Mark Prisk MP
About the meeting
The meeting was to let Mark know about the work we do and what we’re hearing across the county and in particular his patch. We wanted to talk through the role of Healthwatch and our focus around being patient champion, holding the system to account, research and engagement and provide a signposting service.
In addition, it was a great chance for Mark to let us know about any concerns or issues he’s been hearing about from his constituents.
Some of the points discussed included:
- Mark said he was interested in receiving information relating to the results of surveys (eg he was interested in feedback we got as a result of our newsletter) and around patient experience
- Mark is very keen that health and care are not seen separately and the challenge to achieve sustainable funding for both health and social care is addressed
- Mark outlined a few issues he’s had fed back to him around the Princess Alexandra Hospital . We also discussed the potential hospital development
- NHS funding for primary care hubs .Mark has been helping explore premises across a number of towns in his patch. Some access to buildings is poor with unsuitable premises.
- Retention of GPs can be a challenge
- It was great that the feedback about the Lister Hospital as generally positive with no particular issues raised recently
- A preventative model of healthcare remains a priority going forward; Mark is keen on patient ownership of their records
In Summary
Though the conversation was broad, it was great to be able to ‘touch base’, make contacts, and establish better relationships with another of the local MPs. What became clear through our conversation was that, like Healthwatch Hertfordshire, MPs are often the place of last resort and in some cases Mark writes to Secretary of State to show the issue is taken seriously and this might bring closure, if not the hoped for result.
Regular readers know that we already work closely with local government, and this is a great opportunity for us to broaden those connections.
