AS part of my mission to improve local healthcare, I’ve been looking closely at what better healthcare provision really means for our communities.

With the government’s 10-Year Health Plan, we are seeing investment in our NHS, waiting lists starting to fall, and faster ambulance response times. I know it's going to take time for these improvements to be felt, and none of the bigger statistics matter when it's you or your loved ones who are still waiting for improvements in your specific care. I also know how hard medical staff work, giving their all to their patients day in and day out. Our long-term plan and adequate investment means we are beginning to see green shoots of positive change.

As part of my work in Parliament, I recently held a roundtable, alongside local charity Histio UK, about the importance of addressing the differences in access to histiocytosis treatments. Dr Scott Arthur MP's work on the Rare Cancers Act means that the government will take action to support research to improve treatment and survival for rare cancers, but we must ensure that the right systems are in place to enable access to existing treatment. Bringing together patients, parents, and clinicians for this meeting allowed me to look at these issues in depth and discuss ways in which we can work together towards practical solutions.

Getting to grips with the deep-rooted problems of NHS dentistry is also a priority for South East Cornwall and for me. I’m working to ensure that the government recognises the urgency of this problem for us, so I recently asked parliamentary questions about the recruitment and retention of dentists and access to dentistry in rural areas. I’ll continue to highlight our needs, with the 10-Year Workforce Plan a good step to investigate this issue.

Many of us also access essential healthcare services across the River Tamar at Derriford, so I’ve met with the Chair and CEO of the hospital to hear updates about their work and how it will be beneficial for us. There’s exciting things in place, such as the new Urgent Treatment Centre and more to come, like the Emergency Care Building. Alongside this, the Labour government is progressing work on its Neighbourhood Health Centres to bring healthcare closer to our communities and I’m also working with them to ensure that this works for communities like ours in South East Cornwall.

This month was also International Nurses Day, which was a moment to recognise the dedication, compassion, and expertise that nurses bring to our NHS every single day. I’ve seen it myself, waiting by the front door desperately hoping someone will come to help a loved one in distress. At times like that, our nurses are literally superheroes.

Healthcare matters deeply to people across South East Cornwall, because our services have been neglected for too long. My focus is on improving the services we already have, making it easier to get the care we need, and ensuring that no one faces unnecessary barriers to treatment.