Shropshire MP to kick off new year Parliamentary work by leading debate on NHS backlogs
A Shropshire MP is set to start her Parliamentary work for 2025 by leading a debate on NHS backlogs in the House of Commons.
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North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan, who serves as the Liberal Democrats' health spokesperson, has secured a debate in the Commons on Monday, the first sitting day of Parliament of the new year.
The MP is seeking to highlight an "ongoing crisis" with hospital waiting times and said she is hoping to apply pressure on the Government to get on top of the health and care crisis by "fixing the foundations" of the system.
Mrs Morgan is calling for better access to GP services, care packages, and NHS dentistry that she says would reduce stress higher up the chain.
It comes after a critical incident was declared at Shropshire's major hospitals following a surge in flu and Covid-19 patients increased demand on the NHS.
The debate on Monday follows an announcement by Health Secretary Wes Streeting on social care reform.
The Minister has announced an independent inquiry into social care reform, led by Baroness Casey, alongside cross-party talks on the future of care provision.
Mrs Morgan said: "Backlogs across the NHS are bad, and in many cases getting worse. I'm starting off 2025 in Parliament by leading a debate on the issue, and making the point that people in rural counties like Shropshire deserve better.
"Recent progress on CT and MRI scan timings in Shropshire are proof that services can be improved and delays reduced. We need to see action from the Labour Government that shows they understand the urgency of the situation.
"This announcement on the social care review is long overdue. I’m glad that the Government has committed to cross-party talks to build a consensus to fix our broken social care system, but we can’t afford to wait three more years for a new plan. We need immediate measures to tackle the chronic shortage of trained care workers.
"Liberal Democrats have long been campaigning for cross-party talks on care, so we stand ready and eager to bring our ideas to this process and to ensure that the voices of family carers are heard throughout."
