Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition (Published on Wednesday 8th November 2023) below:
Hospital
A CQC Report rated Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust as: “requires improvement”, although it retained an “outstanding” rating for caring.
It is vital our local hospital can provide the services our community needs. I will therefore be meeting with the Hospital’s management team to discuss their plans to respond to the concerns raised by the CQC and the support I can offer as Torbay’s MP in doing so.
Whilst the report contains several concerns, it is encouraging to read comments about how hospital staff treated people with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs.
The CQC report highlights Torbay Hospital’s position as having some of the oldest NHS operational buildings in the country, which constrain the ability to address concerns about the physical environment and expand capacity. These issues have already seen the Conservative Government include Torbay Hospital in its new hospital programme which will deliver modern, fit for purpose environments in which to deliver high quality, safe healthcare. At the heart of the new hospital programme plan for Torbay Hospital is a new build ward block to replace the original Hospital buildings which date from the 1920s.
I have been pleased to work with the team at the trust to champion this project and to secure the largest single programme of investment for South Devon’s NHS since its foundation in 1948.The Government has already released £50m of funding for enabling works to prepare the Torbay Hospital site for the major rebuilding work scheduled to start in 2027/28 and expected to finish in 2030, with the new hospital buildings due to open in 2031.
Remembrance
This weekend our nation will pause to remember those who gave their lives in the service of our country.
Whilst there are now a sadly diminishing number of veterans able to provide eyewitness accounts of World War 2, there are many for whom service in Afghanistan or Iraq has left the type of memories their ancestors had of the Somme or Passchendaele.
War in Ukraine and the resurgence of fighting in Israel\Gaza, make the conflicts of the past seem much closer. The risk of a major war, the type of which our Grandparents and Great-Grandparents experienced, seemed to have fallen with the Berlin Wall. Yet now has risen again as Putin seeks to conquer his neighbour and China increasingly threatens Taiwan.
This is what makes Remembrance so vital. It’s not about glorifying war, but remembering the price paid in the past for the freedoms we enjoy today. In doing so we commit to ensure future generations know of this when those who witnessed it first hand are no longer with us.
Surgery Times
My next surgeries are on: Friday 17th November 4pm till 5pm at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD and Friday 24th November 3pm till 5pm at Torquay Library, Lymington Road, Torquay TQ1 3DT.
For an appointment you can either email me at [email protected] or leave a message on 01803 214989, surgeries are for personal queries from residents they would like me to help them with. There are also drop-in sessions from 10am till 1pm, Monday to Friday at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD where a member of my team is available to assist residents with urgent queries.
