I have recently received lots of signatures to a petition opposing the Revised EU Directive on Tobacco Products, set to be adopted in 2014. I think it’s important – given the amount of time and money spent by tobacco company's to oppose this policy – that some concerns surrounding the Directive are clarified so people can have a balanced debate about the issue.
Tomorrow - 5th July 2013 - marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the NHS. The NHS remains an incredible institution to this day, providing free health services to millions of people every day. But the NHS today is suffering from an A&E crisis that proves that the Tories just can’t be trusted with our health service. The creation of the NHS in 1948 is one of the country's - and Labour’s …
Today there are hundreds of thousands of disabled and older people who are not getting the social care support they need to live their lives with dignity and independence. What is more, carers up and down the country are not receiving the recognition or rewards they so thoroughly deserve. The need for a Care and Support Bill has been long overdue. So I am glad the Coalition has put forward …
Yesterday I celebrated a really exciting new project – Health for Life in Schools – that aims to provide primary schools children in South Birmingham will the skills to lead a healthy and active lifestyle for life. It was an excellent event – Forestdale and St John Fisher schools from my Northfield constituency were there, showcasing the work of staff and pupils to grow vegetables, encourage …
This week data from NHS England shows that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital A&E which serves the Northfield constituency has missed the target of seeing 95% of patients within four hours in 28 out of the last 30 weeks. This is a crisis that has started on the Government’s watch. When Labour left office, 98% of patients in A&E were seen within four hours. But since 2010 the number of people waiting …
Fertility problems affect one in seven couples in the UK. NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (known previously as Primary Care Trusts) decide who is eligible to receive funding for fertility treatment. In South Birmingham, the present CCG guidelines dictate that couples are not eligible for funding for fertility treatment where one partner has a child from a previous relationship. The Department …
I was Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield between 1992 and 2019 and a former Shadow Transport Minister. I now chair Healthwatch in Birmingham and Solihull, and the West Midlands Board of Remembering Srebrenica. I also work as a public affairs consultant. I am an effective community advocate and stakeholder alliance builder with a passion for human rights. I am a trustee of the Balfour Project charity and of Citizens Advice Birmingham, and a former Chair of Medical Aid for Palestinians.