Neil is working with health leaders to ensure local NHS and Social Care services in Devon are up to scratch.
After strongly opposing the local clinical commissioning group's decision to reduce inpatients beds in Tiverton and Honiton, Neil is now working with local health leaders and the Department for Health to ensure NHS sites use their capacity and provide the services people need.
Devon has one of the oldest average population ages in the country, with 28% of the population above retirement age. That means that more people are likely to require healthcare. Neil believes the population age should be reflected in service provision and, in particular, is fighting for better use of local community hospitals for 'step down' care.
Neil continues to campaign to secure the future of local community hospitals, including Tiverton & District Hospital, Seaton Hospital, Honiton Hospital and Axminster hospital.
He has called upon local NHS leaders and the Government to commit to ensure these community assets can be better utilised- including expanding the range of outpatient services available to patients- to increase access to primary cares services in Devon.
Community hospitals were a vital resource in the fight against Covid-19, relieving pressure from acute services at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital and the NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter, and in the case of Seaton Hospital, providing Covid-19 vaccinations too.
Neil has also worked alongside local NHS services to introduce “Social Prescribing” spaces in community hospitals for local community organisations. This is where charities and other non-for-profit organisations lease underutilised areas of community hospitals to carry out important civic work.
Project Food, based in the kitchen space of Axminister Hospital, is a prime example. The charity has provided hundreds of crucial free meal deliveries services to families over the course of the pandemic and continue to deliver nutritious meals and vegetable boxes to elderly and vulnerable people across the constituency. Neil wants to see similar projects set up in the other community hospitals, and will continue to press for further funding for such projects as part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.
See Neil’s recent Written Parliamentary question on Community Hospitals here.