The Future of St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon
I know that many local residents will want an update on what I’m doing to oppose the proposed closure of St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon and the NHS’ plans to relocate services elsewhere.
The Public Meeting
I am very much aware of the enormous and very understandable local concern about this proposal and feel that the proposed consultation arrangements being made by the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board are wholly inadequate. Therefore, in early February I organised a public meeting at the Plume Academy in conjunction with the Mayor of Maldon, to allow local residents the opportunity to express their views directly to the decision makers at the Integrated Care Board (ICB). This was attended by the Chief Executive, the Director of Medical Services and the Director of Midwifery as well as the Leader of Maldon District Council. It was vital they understood the palpable strength of feeling among my constituents and their determination to retain services at St Peter’s.
It was encouraging to see the meeting was very well attended with some 400 people attending. However, despite choosing the biggest venue available, a further 100 were unable to get in.
My position is clear that the population of the Maldon District is growing steadily and that we should be investing in new health facilities rather than cutting back on them. A new Community Hospital in Maldon has been under discussion for 20 years or more but despite coming close, it has never materialised. If St Peter’s is no longer viable then it is essential that medical services continue to be provided elsewhere in the town until a new fit-for-purpose community hospital can be built.
The Survey
Following their initial announcement of the proposals, Mid and South Essex NHS have published a consultation document which I would encourage everyone to respond to. However, this fails to ask a number of relevant questions and some of those that are asked seem to be of little relevance. I therefore decided to run my own survey in early March, to gauge the key concerns among my constituents in relation to the proposed closure. I have been given the assurance of the local NHS leaders that responses to my own survey will be taken into consideration as part of the consultation process which has now been extended from the 21st March to 4th April. As well as sending out a large number of emails seeking views, I have also arranged the distribution of some 25,000 paper survey letters.
Although the Mid and South Essex NHS proposals offer two options for the intermediate care beds and stroke rehabilitation beds at St Peter’s, neither allow their retention there and instead suggest relocation to Brentwood and Rochford. It is proposed that the midwife-led birthing unit will be based at Braintree. While the ICB have stated that outpatient services will be kept in Maldon where possible, they will seek to provide them from other locations in the town and once this has been established, St Peter’s will be permanently closed.
There is no doubt in my mind that the loss of essential medical services such as maternity, outpatients, and stroke facilities from the town will make it far harder for many members of the Maldon community to access critical healthcare services. In particular, those needing maternity, stroke rehabilitation and intermediate care services and their families will face much longer travelling times. While I welcome the assurance that outpatient services will continue at St Peter’ until alternative local provision is up and running, I believe that they need to continue to be located on a single site and recognise that many of my constituents want to see them kept at St Peter’s.
The Adjournment Debate
I also recently obtained and spoke in an Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons chamber on the future of St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon, where I was able to set out why the proposed changes are unacceptable and a new hospital is needed. I am pleased that my constituency neighbour and colleague, Dame Priiti Patel also spoke and the Minister of State for Social Care, Helen Whately MP replied to the debate:
St Peter’s Hospital, Maldon – Hansard – UK Parliament
Priti and I will shortly be meeting the Minister for Health and the Minister for Social Care in order to press the case.
Ukraine Reception and Roundtable Discussion: “Echoes of Tragedy: Testimonies on Russia’s War in Ukraine”
In February, I arranged two events in Parliament to commemorate the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I did so in my capacity as Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Ukraine group, and as an officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ukraine.
The events sought to shed light on the devastating impact of the war, particularly focusing on the personal experiences of civilians, particularly child witnesses of Russian war crimes.
After some opening remarks from myself and the organisers, the events were primarily opened by children from Ukraine who had witnessed the appalling war crimes of the Russian Federation. It was a sombre privilege to hear their courageously delivered first-hand testimonies
The Murder of Alexei Navalny
Following the murder of Alexei Navalny by the Putin regime, I asked the Foreign Office Minister, Leo Docherty, in the House of Commons that the Government should give no credibility or recognition to the Russian Presidential election taking place on 15th-17th March:
Does my hon. Friend agree that the murder of Alexei Navalny, following the earlier murder of Boris Nemtsov, shows the absolute refusal of Putin to tolerate any kind of genuine democratic opposition? Will the Government therefore give absolutely no credibility or recognition to the sham pretence that the so-called presidential election taking place next month in Russia will undoubtedly be?
My right hon. Friend speaks on the basis of knowledge, and he is entirely right about the sham election that will take place on 12th March. The murders of which he has spoken do show a terrible pattern, but as I said earlier, we should not feel that repressive government is an inevitability in Russia. The Russian people have a hope that there can be a different Government, and that is why Mr Navalny’s message was received so well.
I later had a meeting with Evgeniya Kara-Murza, wife of Vladimir Kara-Murza, and his mother, Elena Gordon (pictured below). Vladimir Kara-Murza is now the best known political prisoner in Russia and is also a British citizen. Having twice survived poisoning, Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to prison in April 2022 and is serving a sentence of 25 years in Siberia. I have pressed the Government to do everything possible to bring pressure on Russia to secure his release.
Vladimir Kara-Murza – The Washington Post
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vienna
On 22nd February 2024 in Vienna, I attended the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly in Vienna, in my role as leader of the UK Delegation.
I was among more than 230 delegates from 54 OSCE countries to attend. The assembly was created as a forum to discuss European security and the debates were dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
Operation Stronghold
On the 24th February, I accompanied Essex Police on a special operation named Operation Stronghold.
The purpose of Operation Stronghold was to utilise both local and additional force wide police resources to tackle issues affecting the community within all Essex police districts. The operation involved a number of proactive enforcement, high visibility, and public engagement events throughout the week.
I was invited to join one of the planned activities that was due to take place, and as such accompanied members of the Maldon Town team of Essex Police on a proactive ANPR and traffic operation led by Sergeant Matt Dalby.
I found it hugely informative to observe the work of the dedicated officers in Maldon and was most impressed by the professionalism.
Spring Budget 2024: Maldon District Council receives £5 million
I welcome the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement in the Spring Budget earlier this month that the Maldon District has been allocated £5 million in capital funding to finance local cultural projects.
This funding comes as part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and recognises the crucial role culture can play in supporting pride in place.
I will be meeting with Maldon District Council to discuss possible projects to include in their bid for this funding, focused on supporting cultural activity and the local economy.
Quart Pot Pub visit in Runwell
I recently visited the Quart Pot freehouse pub in Runwell, in my constituency.
My visit came after this local business has recently undergone substantial expansion and improvement with a £454,000 investment from its owner, the Stonegate Group.
I was delighted to be shown around to see the Pub’s new renovations by Nick Naveen, the Stonegate area Manager, and Gemma Corstun-Love, the Manager of the Quart Pot.
I said of my visit at the time: “it was great to see the pub full on a Friday lunchtime and playing such a central part in the life of Rettendon and Runwell villages. Stonegate own a number of pubs across the constituency and I am delighted to see that they have made such a substantial commitment to the Quart Pot. Gemma and her team are doing a great job and have clearly built a highly successful business”
DEFRA Meeting for Essex Fishermen
I recently arranged a meeting with Mark Spencer MP, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for inshore fishermen from Maldon and neighbouring Essex constituencies.
The meeting was arranged following the question I put to Mark Spencer in the House of Commons in February, where I asked the Minister to consider allowing drift net fishing in the Thames Estuary for bass. I was pleased to bring with me my constituent Nick Boyce from Latchingdon, to meet with the Minister at DEFRA. Also in attendance were Robert Mole of Mersea and Paul Gilson of Southend, and their MPs, Sir Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and North Essex and Anna Firth, MP for Southend West.
The meeting was very constructive with Nick Boyce explaining that they did not want any increase in their quota but merely to be allowed to fish in a way that is safer and more sustainable and does not lead to fishermen having to sometimes throw dead fish back into the sea. Mark Spencer promised to consider the points made and to revert to them in due course.
Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
I also put a question in the House of Commons to Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I raised the difficulty that businesses in the poultry sector such as Kelly Turkeys in Danbury have in obtaining highly seasonal labour due to the inflexibility, cost and bureaucracy of the Seasonal Poultry Workers Scheme.
I urged the Secretary of State to consult with the Home Office to allow producers like Kelly Turkeys to use existing UK labour in the run up to Christmas through the Season Agricultural Workers Scheme:
Topical Questions – Hansard – UK Parliament
Below I am pictured with three generations of the Kelly family, Toby, Paul and Derek, at Springate Farm in Chelmsford.
