Health and Social Care

Ensuring that constituents receive the best Health and Adult Social Care for their needs, has been a huge priority for me since my election in 2015. With a proportion of elderly constituents way above the national average, I speak regularly in Parliament as to the needs of the constituency. In East Sussex, our local NHS and County Council teams have taken the bold step to move their health and social care budgets together to ensure that the money is following the patient. This ‘Better Together’ programme should mean fewer hospital stays and faster discharges. My support for this programme, and the other changes being made nationally and locally, features heavily in all that I say and do on this subject. For 2017, I will be condensing all of my news, views and contributions in to this special Health and Social Care website section for constituents to better understand the improvements and the challenges in this area. Please do let me know if you wish to share your experience of Health and Social Care provision (be this positive or negative).

News

Huw asks Minister to consider social care reform

Monday, 8 April, 2019

In Parliament this week, Huw asked the Housing Minister to look at long-term funding for local authorities that takes into account the age-range of the people living there.

Huw continues to lobby for social care reform

Monday, 4 February, 2019

In Parliament, Huw continued to lobby for social care reform by asking the Health and Social Care minister to look at the German system of compulsory social care insurance when considering proposals for the Green Paper on social care.

Local MP calls for social care reform

Monday, 4 February, 2019

Huw has been lobbying Government for extra funds for East Sussex. In welcoming the extra funding in the Local Government settlement, he spoke in House of Commons to thank Parish, Town, District & County Cllrs for their work. He then focussed on radical reform to social care funding so we can care for more people locally and fund other services.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care visits East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Tuesday, 15 January, 2019

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Matt Hancock, accompanied by the Rt Hon Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle, made an informal visit to Bexhill and Conquest Hospitals to meet staff and patients.

Huw speaks on Universal Credit and second chances for ex-offenders

Monday, 7 January, 2019

Huw spoke up for a constituent whose employment was terminated due to a spent conviction. He urged the Work and Pensions minister to ensure that public sector employers take a risk on ex-offenders and do not continue to punish them long after their sentence has been spent.

New Health Secretary pledges to visit East Sussex

Wednesday, 25 July, 2018

The newly appointed Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, has accepted an invitation from local MPs to visit their local NHS and Social Care teams in East Sussex.

Local MPs welcome positive progress of local NHS hospital trust

Thursday, 7 June, 2018

Local MPs, Huw Merriman and Amber Rudd have welcomed the today’s news (6 June 2018) that East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is no longer in special measures.

Huw joins Alzheimer’s Society campaign on Dementia Care

Tuesday, 5 June, 2018

Bexhill and Battle MP, Huw Merriman, has helped Alzheimer’s Society to launch their new report, Dementia – the true cost as part of their Fix Dementia Care campaign.

Huw calls for an increase in income tax to pay for more NHS investment

Wednesday, 23 May, 2018

I believe that we have to add extra funding and reform to the NHS. I am no fan of increased taxes; but, in House of Commons yesterday, I called for income tax to be raised to fund services that may be being abused.

Debating the NHS in Parliament

Wednesday, 23 May, 2018

Today in Parliament, when debating the NHS I talked positively about what the last Labour Government and current Conservative Government have done.