This time next month we will all be going to the polls to elect a new government. The Easter Weekend over the campaign can now get into full swing.
First thing today our campaigning team met at our office in Beckenham Conservative Association where we revised what each of us will be doing for the month until the General Election.
Yesterday Andy Burnham, representing the Labour Party, attacked the Government; suggesting that access to general practitioners has been markedly reduced over the last 5 years. Maybe there have been some people who could not get in to see the general practitioner locally but I cannot recall one complaint coming to me from Beckenham constituents on this subject. Nobody has been to one of my ‘surgeries’ saying they have not being able to see their doctor quickly in the 5 years I have represented Beckenham. Personally, thinking of my own family with our doctor based in the Beacon, we have always been able to get an appointment when we needed one.
But I have used the Beckenham Beacon Urgent Care Centre which has unfortunately seen members of my family relatively often. It is a fantastic service – open at the weekends too - and is there to treat anyone with a minor injury or illness, that does not require emergency treatment at an A&E Department (Telephone 01689 866037).
If there are access to GP problems then a lot of them must stem from Labour’s disastrous 2004 GP contract which prompted nine out of ten general practitioners to ditch out of hours care. Obviously this made it much harder for those in work to see GPs and so they had little choice but to go to A&E which has put huge pressure on hospitals. David Cameron has already announced that he wants to put help put this right by ensuring doctors return to their traditional practice of having out of hours surgeries. That is very good news for everyone.
The attached photograph shows Tony Power on the left and Robert Straker on the right as you look at it on Copers Cope Road on 4 April.