Supporting our local NHS

Helen Whately at Faversham Village Hospital

My Aims

  • Improve services for people in Faversham and Mid Kent
  • Joined-up health and social care
  • Better mental health care

 

Healthcare affects us all, whether we’re patients ourselves or our families and friends. As a parent, I make regular trips to the GP with my children and occasional visits to A&E too.

The major hospitals around this area are all in difficulties and many GPs are full to bursting, with patients queuing at 8am for appointments. The future of Faversham Minor Injuries Unit is uncertain (as I write).

Our local health services are not alone; GPs and hospitals around the country are struggling to cope. Although every year the NHS provides millions of people with excellent care, shocking cases have emerged where patients have been treated appallingly.

It’s easy to be critical but not necessarily helpful. I will champion our local NHS, work for good decisions and a fair share of funding. I use these services too. I want the NHS to provide excellent care to everyone who needs it.

 

Have your say on healthcare in Kent

  • 1 GP Issues
  • 2 Your details
How often do you visit your GP surgery?
How do you travel to the surgery?
How long do you have to travel to get to the surgery?
Where 1 is very easy and 4 is very difficult, is the surgery building easy to get around?
Where 1 is very happy and 4 is very unhappy, how happy are you with the facilities at the surgery e.g. parking, building, toilets and waiting area?
Where 1 is very easy and 4 is very difficult, how easy is it to book an appointment?
How long does it take to get an appointment with a GP at your surgery?
Have you visited A&E in the past year because you were unable to get an appointment for yourself or a family member?
Please select your age category:
Do you have a disability?
Do you have children who use the surgery?

News

How long do you have to wait to see your GP?

People often tell me they have to wait ages to see a GP, and I have been shocked to hear stories about people queuing outside their surgery to get an appointment. This is simply not good enough.

How good is mental health care in Faversham and Mid Kent?

It can be difficult to get a true picture of how our area is doing when it comes to mental health services.

So I'm pleased that Mental Health Watch, a new website which makes scrutinising spending and performance easy, has been launched by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

We’re getting a Kent Medical School, now we need a modern Hospital

Healthcare in this area simply isn’t good enough. Our hospitals are struggling; it’s a hard to recruit enough doctors and nurses to staff three major hospitals in East Kent. And the buildings are out of date. I’ve campaigned for a new medical school in Kent, and we’re getting it.

Have your say on the future of our health service

I'm hosting a public meeting, along with Concern for Health in East Kent [CHEK], to give local people the chance to have a say on changes to health services.

It will take place on Friday 27th April at 7pm at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham