"OUR PLANS WILL IMPROVE THE NHS" TOP LIB DEM TELLS SLOUGH PARTY

At the AGM of Slough Lib Dems on 8 Nov, Matthew Taylor, Chair, introduced the guest speaker, Lord Allan who speaks on Health for the Lib Dems in the Lords. Matthew reports: “Lord Allan was highly critical of the Tory Government’s many failures in leading the health service, and explained how the Lib Dems would improve the health service.”

Lord Allan said that for a journey it was necessary to have a map, a vehicle and a driver. But for the current journey of the UK’s health services, while the Tories had drawn up some plans, “the vehicle is creaking and there isn’t a credible driver.”

He gave examples of failures in services such as mental health where the Tories had some plans, but have made no attempt to properly introduce them.

The Lib Dems, Lord Allan explained, recognise many problems with delays in receiving hospital care are linked to the Government’s failures to adequately fund or reform social care. Often elderly people who are fit to come out of hospital, end up having to stay in a hospital bed for longer because the social care system is so short of staff and other resources that it cannot provide care for all those who need it.

He said: “The Lib Dems commitment to providing extra investment in the social care sector will be better for those who need social care, and for those waiting for a hospital bed.”

Finally, in response to a question about the crisis in NHS dentistry, which was reported to be particularly severe in Slough, Lord Allan explained that the Tory failures over NHS dentistry highlighted how the Tories are failing the NHS.

He said: “The Tory crew are not up to driving the NHS and do not really have anything to offer. For NHS dentistry the Tory Government has repeatedly refused to reform the inadequate contracts that mean too many dentists no longer take on NHS patients because the system does not pay enough to adequately cover their costs. Astonishingly, there is money available, and there are trained dentists but under the current Government, as a result of the inadequate contracts, some of the money that would be available for dentistry is not being used.”

Lord Allan explained: “Currently all sorts of dental issues are being missed because too many people are not getting check-ups. A new report shows a horrifying increase in the number of deaths from mouth cancer in recent years. The Lib Dems are committed to making major reforms to the NHS dentistry contracts to attract more dentists back into the NHS, and use the resources that are already availble.”

Finally, Lord Allan said, “The Tory Government is failing in so many ways that the Lib Dems want the Conservatives to lose the next election at the national level. And the job of the Lib Dems is to win as many MPs as possible.”

REPAIRS TO DAMAGED UTILITY CABINETS/BOXES

“I’m delighted that a long-running Lib Dem campaign has brought success for residents on repairs to utility boxes or cabinets”, says Councillor Frank O’Kelly, Lib Dem Cllr for Cippenham Village.

Cllr O’Kelly continued, “For many years Robert Plimmer and Matthew Taylor, my colleagues in the Cippenham Lib Dem Focus Team, had been asking for action to repair or replace damaged utility boxes in the streets of Cippenham. These exposed boxes had front covers missing, and were therefore unsightly as well as potentially dangerous to children and animals who might get access to possibly live wires.”

“Many of these boxes, or cabinets, belonged to Virgin Media, and Robert Plimmer asked Slough Borough Council to write to them demanding action. Over the years there was some success in getting repairs or replacements, but often it took far too long.”

According to Cllr O’Kelly, “In recent months our Cippenham Lib Dem team has noticed the repairs seem to have been carried out more rapidly. For example, in Spring 2023 Robert Plimmer reported a box in Twinches Lane near the junction with Oakfield Drive needed action, as in the attached photo. Then, in the summer, I noticed it had been repaired - but in this case another box had also been added by the company”

“Now, in September 2023, working with the new senior team at Slough Borough Council, the issue with the electrical cabinets is, at last, being comprehensively addressed.  The Cabinet owners have been issued with a notice, called a Section 81 notice, demanding they sort out their damaged cabinets.”

"Our Lib Dem team, on behalf of the residents and working with our colleagues, will ensure the work is being done,“ promised Cllr O’Kelly who made a pledge to residents: “If you have any of these damaged electrical cabinets in your area, email a picture and location to me at frank.okelly@slough.gov.uk and I will forward it to the council team to get action.”