Siôn Simon MP

Erdington MP Siôn Simon has this week called for young people to be treated with more respect in the media, joining a campaign conducted by Young People Now magazine.  He
attended the “Young People Now Positive Image Awards” event, where
awards were presented to young people, media professionals and councils
that had made a positive contribution to the portrayal of young people
in the media in the previous 12 months.

After the ceremony Mr. Simon said:

“The
treatment of young people in the news and media can often be unfairly
negative, a practice which we must all work to change.  A
recent Mori poll has revealed that 57 per cent of press articles about
young people are negative, compared to 71 per cent in 2004.  This is a sad statistic, and shows the seriousness of the issue.  I
was delighted to attend the awards today, and will continue to do what
I can to ensure young people are afforded the credit and praise that is
often denied to them by a prejudiced media.”

Erdington MP Siôn Simon attended Erdington’s St George’s day celebrations on Saturday. The festivities included performances by brass bands on an open-air bandstand, with seating for over one hundred people. The repertoire of music included renditions of well-known pop songs.

Part of the High Street was closed off to accommodate market stalls, mostly provided for local organisations and charities. Also included in a full and lively programme of events was Morris Dancing.

Mr. Simon said:

“It is great to see that this event is increasing in popularity every year. It is once again a fantastic community event that raises the profile of Erdington High Street as a venue for shoppers from all over North Birmingham.”

Erdington MP Siôn Simon this week welcomed a multi-million pound scheme announced by the Department of Health that will re-develop NHS hospitals throughout Birmingham. The Birmingham re-development is the largest hospital PFI (Private Finance Initiative) scheme outside of London to get the go-ahead.

A new acute hospital and mental health facilities will open to patients under the Birmingham scheme.  The £690 million scheme will provide 1,231 beds, as well as an A&E, specialist burns and transplant wards a decontamination suite and operating theatres. Development of the site for the new Birmingham hospital has already started under an advanced works agreement.  The first new facilities are expected to open to patients in Birmingham in early 2010, with final work expected to complete at Birmingham in late 2012.

Health Minister Rosie Winterton said:

“This development is just part of our commitment to the biggest hospital building programme in the history of the NHS.  New facilities like these are replacing inadequate and outdated hospitals across the country.”

Mr. Simon said:

“This extra investment in Birmingham hospitals is fantastic news, and I’’m confident the extra funding will make a real difference to the quality of care patients receive in our city. Dur to the unique way schemes like these are funded, the new facilities will not only offer the best possible design, but will also continue to be affordable well into the future.”

Erdington MP Siôn Simon this week stood up for the right of patients to have access to a fair complaints procedure in the NHS, in a Parliamentary exchange with Health Minister Jane Kennedy.

Mr. Simon: My constituent Jenny O’Connor, who was misdiagnosed last year in this country, went abroad for an operation that she did not need and was given another operation that she did need, along with an explanation of what should have happened in the first place. She came back and asked for her records. Finally, after three months, she obtained the records. When she complained, she was told that she could not do so because time had run out. The trust involved is now under different management, and making great strides. Could the Minister have a word with it about the need to take complaints a little more seriously, not just in this case but across the board?

Jane Kennedy: I am aware of the case that my hon. Friend has raised. In general, it is important for all complaints to be thoroughly and properly investigated, and for the complainant subsequently to be given an explanation and, when appropriate, an apology. I undertake to look into the details of the case, and will be happy to meet my hon. Friend.

After the debate, Mr. Simon said:

“After a constituent brought to my attention the serious problems she encountered when attempting to lodge a complaint with the NHS, I have campaigned to make the procedure clearer, fairer and quicker for those with genuine grievances. I am pleased that the Minister has assured me she will look into the case I raised, an hopefully by working with the Department of Health I can help to bring about the changes that are evidently needed.”

Erdington MP Siôn Simon has welcomed Action Plan for the Ten Year Childcare Strategy, published by the Government on Tuesday 4^th April. The plan sets out how the Government will deliver on the commitments made to transform the range of childcare, early years and extended schools services available to parents.

The Action Plan also sets out:

* A framework for local authorities to meet their duties under the Childcare Bill which will come in to force from 2008
* Latest thinking on consultation on the Early Years Foundation Stage and how the Education Department can support local authorities and providers in implementing it
* How the Government will negotiate and agree targets with local authorities and ensure that these are integrated with wider arrangements for supporting and challenging local performance.

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly said:

“Before 1997 too many families were confronted by a simple lack of childcare and where places could be found costs were often prohibitively high. Since then we have invested more than £17billion, there are 90% more childcare places and Ofsted tell us that standards are improving year on year.”

“Parents themselves are best placed to make difficult decisions about how best to combine work with family life. Government’s role must be to provide parents with choice and ensure that all children have access to affordable and high quality childcare. We know that high quality early care and education provision boosts children’s later achievement.”

Mr. Simon said:

“This is an important milestone in the development of new support for children and families in the UK. The challenge now is for all those involved in Education in Erdington, from the council to the LEA, to develop joined up support for children and families within our community. The Action Plan published today provides a positive framework for making that happen that has the potential to improve opportunities for generations to come.”

Erdington MP Siôn Simon this week welcomed the inception of a Government scheme providing free transport for over 60’s and disabled people, which began on Saturday 1^st April. Mr. Simon has fought strongly for the measure to be introduced since he was elected to Parliament in 2001. The concessionary bus fares schemes will offer free, off peak local bus travel and will benefit 11 million older and disabled people supporting mobility and inclusion and encouraging bus use. Free local bus travel will be extended to a nationwide scheme in 2008 which means those entitled will be able to use local bus services anywhere in England.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said:

”From today 11 million older and disabled people will be able to take advantage of free local bus travel. Buses offer flexible and convenient transport and concessionary fares will encourage more people to take the bus as well as helping people stay independent.”

Mr. Simon said:

”This is fantastic news for older people, a measure for which I have long fought for. As well as saving them money, the concessions will enable older people to stay in touch with friends and relatives and reach local services and facilities they depend on. I strongly encourage anyone in Erdington entitled to these concessions to make sure they apply for them and use them.”

Erdington MP Siôn Simon this week welcomed changes to the new GP contract. The changes, which came into force on Saturday 1^st April, will deliver significant improvements in the range and quality of GP services for NHS patients at little extra cost. The revised contract encourages GPs to take a more direct role in managing patients suffering from long-term conditions as part of a widened quality and outcomes framework incentive scheme. Since being introduced in April 2004, the new GP contract has provided the NHS with greater clarity than ever before on the number of people living with long-term conditions, such as coronary heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Health Minister Lord Warner said:

“The revised contract will encourage our world-class NHS GPs to deliver the most up to date and effective treatments for patients direct from their practices in a cost effective way.
“It shifts money in the old contract to support those GPs who play a bigger part in delivering hospital-type services, such as physiotherapy, ear nose and throat or diabetes clinics, in their practices.

Mr. Simon said:

“This contract will help drive away many of the historic problems associated with booking a GP appointment. I understand how frustrating it is for patients if they cannot get through to their GP because the lines are busy, and the changes to the GP contract will make it easier for patients to plan their appointments in advance.”

“The better services GPs provide, the more pay they will receive, as rewards will be directly linked with patients’ experiences. The revised contract also provides greater value for money as it secures further improvements in services with no increase for inflation and only provides new money for extra services for patients.”