Since 2017 I campaigned to improve healthcare across Hornchurch & Upminster, including:

The fast delivery of a new health centre in Hornchurch - the St George's Health & Wellbeing Hub - to improve community care and reduce pressure on Queen's

We secured £17m capital for a new NHS hub in Hornchurch after extensive lobbying of the Health Secretary, NHS and the Prime Minister since 2017. The new centre is due to open later in 2024 and will revolutionise healthcare across Hornchurch and Upminster, serving as a modern healthcare fit for the 21st Century. Further information on this health centre and how it will improve our local health community can be found here. Find out how I got on during my most recent visit to the site.

Securing a community diagnostic hub at the new St. George's Health Hub

I welcomed the Government's plan to open a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Hornchurch from December - one of 13 centres announced last summer to add to the 114 now open across the country as part of the Prime Minister’s drive to cut NHS waiting lists and get people better, faster care.

Improved patient care at Queen's Hospital, Romford 

My team and I are in frequent contact with the executive team at Queen's Hospital so that we can support services and flag any issues brought to us by constituents. We have seen improvements in blood testing services and a new plan is being rolled out on out-of-hours services.

Improved access to drugs for constituents with rare conditions

We have led and been involved with several campaigns to improve access to specialist drug treatments for constituents who need them. 

I have been lobbying the Government for treatments for neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer that typically affects young children, to be made available on the NHS. I had raised with the Prime Minister the case of my young constituent, Isla Caton, who has had to go abroad for treatments. Following this work and that of colleagues, I was pleased when treatments were made available on the NHS last year.

I have also been working with colleagues on a cross-party basis to secure access to vital drugs, such as Orkambi and Symkevi for those with cystic fibrosis. I am glad that our representations to Government and the drug manufacturer have been successful and that these drugs will now be made available free of charge on the NHS.

Better training facilities to ensure North East London has the next generation of doctors and nurses to serve our growing population

I was pleased to support an application for additional medical school places so that a branch campus of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentristy at Queen Mary University of London can be established in outer East London, this will help increase the popularity of the location for practitioners and encourage young people to consider a career in medicine.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England Board has offered 32 undergraduate medical education places to Barts and the London School of Medicine to start in 2019 - 20. 

Better integrated primary and social care for our growing elderly population, working with local charities, support groups, council and NHS

This will be aided significantly by the St. George's Health and Wellbeing Hub and I will continue to support stakeholders to integrate their services so to provide better and more joined-up services.