This week's Bromsgrove and Droitwich Standard letters......

Local healthcare services need to get back to normal

I JUST have to highlight my concerns over GP patient care and hospital admissions.

Even though the Covid crisis has not been fully resolved and like the general flu, is here to stay, my concern is of patient care in general, especially in my home town Bromsgrove.

It is without doubt Covid took over all other patient care issues up and down the country and with the administration of the Covid vaccine, relatively most of the population has got some immunity.

However setting aside this, we have got to get back some resemblance of order in our GP surgeries.

I spoke to a GP who assured me they were back to ‘normal’ but clearly are not!

Unlike the nurses at my GP surgery, the doctors are still only taking phone call measures and speaking to their patients by telephone rather than physically seeing them, once you get past reception!

I truly believe that this is why our A&E departments at local hospitals are being overwhelmed by people attending to see a doctor about a physical medical problem, matters that could have been addressed by their own GP.

So before I end on this subject, my local GP surgery has done a marvellous job dealing out Covid vaccines, but let’s start to get back GPs seeing non-emergency patients.

The nurses at this surgery, have been seeing patients referred to them since Covid began, patients referred to them by non other than their own GPs from behind their desks.

So lets see GPs back on the frontline alongside their nurses, seeing patients physically and restore some patient faith back in the system.

The Bromsgrove Whinger

Catshill and Marlbrook Parish Council need to spend – on reducing precept

IN THE latest edition of the Catshill and North Marlbrook parish magazine, reference is made to the erroneous 37 per cent increase in this year’s parish council precept, and inviting suggestions as to how this should be spent.

May I suggest that it should not be spent at all, but deposited in a bank and used to offset the parish council precept in future years.

If the money is spent on some special project or event, then the increased parish council precept which has been ‘erroneously’ taken this year, will become the baseline for future precepts, effectively incorporating this year’s 37 per cent increase in the precept, ad infinitum.

Susan Holbeche

Beehive Close

Bromsgrove needs housing but not at any cost

I WRITE about the development at Perryfields.

I am looking at the comments about this huge development and I am worried that the infrastructure is inadequate to cope.

The school in Perryfields Road has no footpaths and the crossroads onto the Kidderminster Road is a notorious and dangerous one.

We understand progress must prevail but we can all have a voice as to where the Section 106 money should be spent.

It will be a vast amount of money on a development as big as this.

So everyone who reads this needs to stand up, be heard and ask the questions.

Patricia Dormer

Government needs to sort out social care scandal

THIS WEEK marks 100 weeks since Prime Minister Boris Johnson stood on the steps of Downing Street and pledged to reform adult social care. It is a scandal that we are still waiting to see those proposals.

That’s 100 weeks where too many older people are still unable to get the care they need in a complex and unequal system that causes distress and confusion for people when they need it most.

We are living through a pandemic, where care workers have given their all to protect those most vulnerable to Covid-19, and yet we still await proper pay and recognition for those doing life-changing work.

Over two thirds of people have told us that social care should be a top priority for the Government with almost half believing it doesn’t care about the needs of older people.

In the last 20 years there have been green papers, white papers, commissions and reviews but nothing has changed.

Adult social care and the people it supports deserve better.

People everywhere are joining with us and asking the Government to #FixCareForAll with our five asks:

· A new social care system that is fully resourced with a fair price for care

· A national workforce strategy that values our people

· Transparency and accountability through regulating the system

· Care which is co-designed by older people and the sector

· Seamless pathways between health and social care

Find out more at www.fixcareforall.org.uk and join us in making sure older people get the care system they deserve.

Sam Monaghan

Chief Executive, Methodist Homes (MHA)

Family Action can help you make memories this summer

SUMMER is a time when we look forward to being with our families.

After such a challenging year, I think we are all hoping this summer will be extra special and will give us a chance to reconnect with loved ones, rebuild lives, make up for lost time and move forwards.

Yet the summer holidays can also be a time when many parents find themselves under additional pressure.

Perhaps due to juggling work commitments with childcare, or providing entertainment for the family when the bank balance is already stretched.

That’s why I’m delighted to share Family Action’s Creating Happy Memories Summer Activity Pack to help families make the most of summer.

It celebrates everything positive about family life while also taking a bit of pressure off parents by providing simple, practical, fun activities and guidance for everyone to enjoy this summer.

The digital pack is free and can be downloaded at www.family-action.org.uk/creating-happy-memories

Families are amazing – we’re not always perfect but we are resilient, adaptable and loving.

I know that together we can put a difficult year behind us and create new happy memories.

Anna Williamson

Broadcaster, bestselling author and life coach

C/o Family Action

EDITOR’S COMMENT

DIDO Harding’s comments about ‘reducing the NHS’ reliance on foreign workers’ is an insult to all overseas medical professionals who have made the UK their home and worked tirelessly for our health service, particularly after what for many has been a gruelling 18 months.

The NHS has always been there for us, attracting caring, highly trained and knowledgeable professionals who deliver a fantastic standard of treatment.

The staff are the best in their field and where they are from should be of little importance.