Harry Cohen
Warrington Issues In Parliament
I believe that one of the key roles that a Member of Parliament has is to ensure that whenever they can they highlight issues and concerns raised by constituents. These local issues are, in many ways, just as important as the great issues of state that we discuss in Westminster. That is why I am very pleased, in recent weeks, to I have had the opportunity to raise a number of Warrington based issues in Parliament. By coincidence they are all health matters.
On 7 March I secured an Adjournment Debate on the problems faced by Warrington families who have a child suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome. These families often face challenges and stresses and strains that those of us with healthy children can hardly imagine and yet they receive little support. Much of what they do is hidden and helping them does not seem to be on anyone’s list of priorities. My Adjournment Debate was designed to highlight their experiences and to give the problem a higher priority. Often simple changes can produce huge benefits for these families. For example, at present there are courses on Asperger’s for schools special needs co-ordinators but they are not required to attend. This means that some do and some don’t which in turn means some parents are happy with the support from their child’s school and others have to struggle to get support. Equally, parents in Warrington who secure assessments for their children often have to wait up to 12 months for some intervention such as speech therapy and language or occupational therapy. Sometimes help is not provided before the child starts to self harm. Surely it would be more sensible to have a key worker or nurse to help families access the service they need and for early intervention. I was pleased that the Health Minister who answered my debate announced that Warrington PCT is to bid for a key worker to support young people with a suspected diagnosis of autism, including Asperger’s Syndrome. A step in the right direction.
Also on 7 March I was able to secure a promise from another Health Minister that a review into the provision of beside hospital telephones and televisions would look at the current charges for the use of these facilities. The Minister was under the impression that calls cost 10p per minute but a constituent whose husband was a patient at Warrington hospital was charged 49p per minute when she rang him via Patientline and was forced to listen to a minute of blurb from Patientline before she was connected. The charge is made even if the patient is not there. To add insult to injury when her husband was discharged he had £5 credit left on his Patientline card but could not be refunded because he had paid for his card in cash. He was told to save the card for any future stays he might have at the hospital. Frankly, I believe this is exploitation of vulnerable people and that the government should issue guidance to NHS Trusts who negotiate contracts with companies such as Patientline to ensure that patients are not exploited in this way. The Minister’s promise of a review was another step in the right direction.
Earlier in the month I received a considerable amount of support from fellow MPs when I tabled a motion criticising the interim Chief Executive of the North West Regional Health Authority who had been quoted in the Health Service Journal criticising backbench MPs who challenge proposed changes to the health service made by bureaucrats like himself. He said he was “old and experienced enough to see the capriciousness of politicians”. He has, in my view, totally failed to understand the democratic process. He is unelected and not accountable to the patients his proposals will effect. MPs are elected and accountable to those patients through the ballot box and have every right to challenge proposals that they believe will adversely effect their constituents. I will continue to raise concerns and stand up for my constituents and for the future of Warrington hospital if I believe the bureaucrats and managers are getting it wrong or not working in the interests of the people I represent. If I or any of my colleagues are prevented from doing that it would represent a huge leap in the wrong direction!
I think that highlighting these local issues is just as important a part of my job as is my role in formulating new laws on national matters.
