Liz at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham

Earlier this week I had the privilege of visiting Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham and learning about the work the hospital is doing to improve care for older people.

Geriatricians play a crucial role in leading these improvements, working alongside other staff like specialist mental health nurses and occupational therapists. This team work is making a real difference to older patients and their families.

I was particularly impressed by Ward B47, which focuses on the specific needs of older people with dementia, offering mental and physical activities tailored to patient’s individual needs. The hospital also has a real focus on ensuring older people get the right package of care and support back in the community, so they can safely go home as soon as possible. This is an approach other hospitals could learn from.

I said that the care system must start with the needs of families and communities, and do more to support the 6.4 million unpaid carers who do vital work looking after their family, friends and neighbours.

You might be interested in reading my speech, which you can find it under the link below.

Liz Kendall MP’s speech to North West Carer Leads Network Conference 25th Jan 2012

I recently appeared on the BBC’s Sunday Politics show with Tory MP, Margot James. We debated the Government’s Health and Social Care Bill.  You can see the programme by clicking here.

De Montfort is now running a great project called the Square Mile, which aims to help the communities of Newfoundpool, Fosse and Woodgate, which are in my constituency. Students and staff have been knocking on doors and asking residents what their priorities are for improving the area.

The message has come back loud and clear: People want to see stronger community ties, better facilities and more opportunities to socialise together. Working with the city council, the NHS and other organisations, De Montfort wants to come up with practical solutions to residents’ concerns.

This is a great project and I’m determined to do my bit to help. If you’d like to read more about the project and what I’m doing to support it, you can read about it in my latest Leicester Mercury column here.

David Cameron is forcing through the biggest re-organisation in the history of the NHS. As I’ve previously written this reckless and risky reorganisation is unnecessary, unwanted and damaging.

Thousands of patients and NHS staff have already called on the Government to drop its Health Bill, but David Cameron is ploughing on regardless, ignoring public and professional opinion. After trying to work with Ministers to positively change the Government’s plans, the Royal College of Nurses and the Royal College of Midwives have now joined the British Medical association in demanding the Government drops its reckless Bill.

We need everyone who thinks the Government is putting our precious NHS at risk to join our ‘Drop the Bill’ campaign.  That’s why on Thursday, 19 January, I was joined by my shadow health team colleagues, including Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham MP, at a rally in the Brite Centre in Braunstone. A the meeting we heard from patients who depend on the NHS, including a man who receives kidney dialysis on a regular basis and a mother of a disabled child for whom the NHS is a lifeline.

It’s for these people and thousands more like them that Labour is calling on the Government to drop their Health and Social Care Bill. I’d urge you to consider doing the same by signing our petition, which can be found here.

The GAP project is the only one of it’s kind in Leicester that helps young dads alongside young mums. One of the fathers I spoke to told me he is completing an NVQ Level 3 in Painting and Decorating. He said that when he came to the project he was really quiet and introverted but now he feels far more confident and eventually wants to set up his own business.

The GAP Project does vital work supporting young people to become better parents and role models for their children. It also saves taxpayers money in the long run, by helping families find work. It’s a really special project that gets my full support, and I wish all the staff and parents involved every success for the future.

I toured the Walkers factory in Beaumont Leys, which has a long history in Leicester and is now owned by PepsiCo. This is an impressive, high tech operation, which processes around 800 tonnes of potatoes a day, making it the biggest crisp factory in the world. It has six large production lines, each turning out up to three tonnes of crisps an hour.

I met with the company’s Production Manager to discuss the issues that face Walkers in the coming years and to encourage them to employ and support local people. I also welcomed the progress Walkers has made in reducing the fat and salt content of their crisps, because whilst we’re a nation of snack lovers, obesity is a major problem that we all need to do more to address in future.

I will continue to do all I can to work with local employers and to support local jobs.

On Friday, I met staff working for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA), including Andy Williamson, the Chief Executive.

The DLRAA is a charity that works closely with the NHS to provide a vital emergency service, which often means the difference between life and death for many of its patients. Whether someone has had a stroke, a heart attack or a serious road accident, the Air Ambulance is able to reach them, even in the most remote of locations. After providing medical care at the scene, the Air Ambulance is then able to transport the patient to the most appropriate care, even if this means travelling miles to access specialist treatment.

The highlight of my visit was meeting Captain Dan Martin and Dr Kumar as they arrived back from an incident. I got to hear at first hand how they came to the rescue of a patient in dire need of emergency assistance.  These really are our flying heroes.