Newspaper Column – The Cornishman – 01/09/25

• A big shout out for our District Nurse Teams. It was my privilege to visit the Helston area team recently.  

As the government plans to “shift” patient care and investment “from Hospital to Community”, supporting our community-based NHS staff is essential. 

However, I was surprised (and disappointed) the Helston Team (of 31 staff) are expected to work from a tiny operational room. It is clearly impossible to properly complete administrative tasks, maintain discretion and to handle difficult calls etc when you’re hot-desking in cramped conditions.  

Perhaps because their uniform is often no longer distinguishable, many overlook that, like Doctors, Registered Nurses are highly trained clinicians, and deserve better. Alongside their remarkable and dedicated Care Worker colleagues they provide a vital service. I took this up with NHS managers immediately after my visit. 

Those who follow my health campaigns will also know I’m pressing the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to ensure Registered Nurses professional status is respected, pay restored and retention improved by treating them with respect and respecting the need for safe staffing levels. 

 

• Indeed, our frontline NHS staff deserve more support, especially when their effort and dedication is overlooked when they take the rap for matters beyond their control. Our Hospitals’ Trust was criticised again this week by the Care Quality Commission. It claimed Treliske Urgent, Emergency and Medical services “require further improvement”, following a recent inspection.   

This shouldn’t be interpreted as a criticism of frontline staff. They go the extra mile in extremely difficult and stressful circumstances and work under intense pressure to provide a 24/7 urgent and emergency service. The Truro Emergency Department and Penzance Urgent Treatment Centre operate in a climate of extreme precariousness. With the risk of tipping into a “major incident” and failure at almost any moment. 

I met Steve Williamson, the Trust CEO, and senior staff at West Cornwall Hospital a few days ago, when the current pressure at the Emergency Department and the Urgent Treatment Centre was a key focus. Ever since the Trust was obliged to follow central diktat to cut hospital beds, even while pressure from demand, demographics and population growth increased pressure on the emergency front door of the hospital, the service has struggled, with ambulance queues, corridor care and improvisation, while the hospital has been operating at close to 100% bed occupancy. This problem is especially acute the further west you go in a long peninsula, leaving those in the far west most vulnerable.  

This situation is unsustainable. Government ministers must now recognise this and act. Cornwall’s NHS cannot ask for support from services to the west, north or south. That must be taken into account. 

  

• My next Public Meeting takes place in the Union Hotel, Penzance this Friday 5th at 7pm. The room has capacity restrictions, so you must book. There are just a few tickets left. Please contact my office at andrew.george.mp@parliament.uk or call 01736 339526.