The NHS marked its 75th anniversary this week, with people across the country celebrating its history and thanking the countless doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals for their important work since its foundation. The fact that the NHS provides healthcare free at the point of use is a source of national pride, and I am pleased that the Government is committed to honouring this founding principle – despite spurious claims to the contrary.
We know there are pressures on health services, as there are across the globe, particularly following the pandemic. That is why we are supporting the NHS with record numbers of doctors and nurses and setting out the largest expansion in training and recruitment in the NHS’s history. In addition to this, the Government is focused on cutting waiting lists, with the number of patients waiting more than 18 months for elective treatment reduced by over 90 per cent and two-year waits being virtually eliminated.
The Government is also supporting the NHS with record funding – pledging an extra £45.6 billion in funding for health and social care over the next three years, on top of the previously announced increases. In Swindon, over the past few years, we have seen this record investment deliver a new Urgent Treatment Centre and Radiotherapy Centre, and a £30 million expansion to the GWH A&E. These projects have seen the biggest ever investment in Swindon’s healthcare facilities, and I will continue to campaign for this record funding to continue.
There has also been a focus on education this week – an area which I am passionate about and have been very active on. In the UK, 88% of schools are ranked ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ and English children are the 4th best readers in the world (and the best in the West). This is, of course, testament to the hard work and dedication of our fantastic teachers!
In Swindon, we have opened schools at the beginning, not the end of new developments. By doing this, we can ensure that the additional demand these new developments bring can be met – as we have seen at Tadpole Garden Village. This work has helped Swindon achieve one of the highest success rates for parents’ school choices, with 95% of parents securing their first-choice school.
We have also put a stop to Labour’s rip-off PFI contracts by ensuring that new schools are paid for upfront. This prevents schools from being saddled with debt, which they would have to pay back over many years, diverting funding away from teaching and ultimately making the school even more expensive.
Finally, my annual Summer Activities Fair is coming up in a couple of weeks, and preparations are well underway. We hope it will be the biggest fair yet, and a number of interesting clubs, groups and organisations have already signed up. This year, for the first time, we will have a fire engine attending – which I am particularly excited about!
The fair aims to showcase the events and activities on offer to families throughout the summer holidays. So, if you are looking for things to keep the children occupied over the summer break, then please do pop along to the Orbital Shopping Park between 10am-1pm on Saturday 22nd July.
