Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition (Published on Wednesday 14th February 2024) below:
King
The announcement His Majesty the King had been diagnosed with cancer provoked a wave of public support and good wishes.
I know Herald Express readers will wish to send their thoughts and prayers to him for a speedy recovery, and to his family for whom this will be a worrying time. The King revealing his own cancer diagnosis is also meant to be a call to action: If there is an NHS screening test lying around you have not used, or a screening appointment invite you have not got round to dealing with: Do it today.
NHS Dentists
The NHS Dental Recovery Plan represents a £200 million investment into NHS Dental services.
I had regularly raised with Health and Treasury Ministers the need for a solution to the lack of access to NHS Dental Services across Devon. This followed many Dental Practices either not accepting new NHS patients or ceasing to provide NHS services entirely.
Under the plans NHS dentists will be given a ‘new patient’ payment of between £15-£50 (depending on treatment need) to treat around a million new patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in two years or more. This is specifically aimed at creating new spaces for registration with an NHS dentist for those who have been unable to do so. It is estimated the plan will help deliver 2.5 million more NHS Dentist appointments per year, through a range of immediate and long-term initiatives.
This plan is welcome, but the real test will not be the announcement itself, but whether people needing dental treatment will soon be able to get a dentist on the NHS.
Childcare Expansion
A debate on Nursery provision provided an opportunity to highlight the forthcoming expansion of free childcare entitlements and how the Government is ensuring there will be enough nursery provision to meet demand.
In Spring Budget 2023, the Government made the largest ever investment in childcare, taking investment from £4 billion each year on the existing childcare offer, to £8 billion in total by 2027-28. This included expanding the support on offer by providing 30 hours a week of free childcare for 38 weeks a year, for eligible working parents of children from the end of maternity/paternity leave to the start of primary school. From April this new entitlement will be extended in stages.
The increased entitlement has created a large new demand for nursery places across England. I took the chance to emphasise the work done locally by nurseries, whilst also push the Government on what is being done to ensure there is capacity across our region to meet the increased demand from families for childcare under the new scheme.
Surgery Times
My next surgeries are on: Friday 16th February 11:30am till 1pm at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD and Saturday 2nd March 10am till 12Noon at St Martin’s Church, Barton Hill Road, Torquay, TQ2 8JA.
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 at my office 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD between 10am & 1pm Monday to Friday where a member of my team will be available to help with any queries.
