On Monday 15th May Ruth Cadbury MP visited West Middlesex hospital in Isleworth to hear first-hand from NHS staff and hospital leaders about the pressures and challenges facing our NHS over the recent months.
During her visit Ruth met with both the senior leadership and staff at the hospital, and visited the day attendance emergency care centre which is pioneering outpatient treatments for patients who would have otherwise spent time in a hospital bed overnight. Afterwards Ruth then spoke to NHS staff working on women’s health issues and the menopause, and heard about their new work to support women locally.
Speaking after her visit Ruth said,
‘‘I was delighted to visit West Mid today and hear first-hand about the tireless work done by our local NHS staff to provide the best possible care for Hounslow residents. I was particularly pleased to hear about areas where they are leading the way nationally such as emergency care. I know how hard the staff at West Mid have been working and how much they do across the community.
I was particularly interested in the new Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC) team and hearing first hand from staff and Dr Sanjay Krishnamoorthy about the work they are doing to ensure that patients in the care of West Mid can be seen by the AEC team, which means no unnecessary overnight stays in hospital. This in turn gives patients more flexibility about their treatment and frees up hospital beds.
I was able to also see the specialist work done by the early pregnancy unit as well as the menopause clinic. It was a pleasure to join in a group discussion with women at West Mid who have used the menopause clinic. They told me how, without this service, they might have left the NHS. This would have meant not only losing valued staff but also their knowledge gained through years of experience. As a country we can’t afford to lose this knowledge from our workforce as it’s irreplaceable.
The discussion reinforced just how important it is that health concerns facing women, particularly those in their 40s and 50 are not forgotten. I intend to raise this in Parliament and with the Government.
Despite the huge pressures facing the staff at West Mid and the lack of adequate support from the Government staff at West Mid continue to give patients a high quality of care. I will continue to work to ensure NHS staff are treated fairly, and have the support they need.’’