Member News
Chris Leslie (Lab, Nottingham East) has raised the "very serious matter" of child health in Nottingham in Parliament.
In a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, he explained that much good work is being done by the NHS services in Nottingham, before briefly reviewing some of the factors affecting the city.
He noted that Nottingham is the "13th most deprived authority in a total of 354" and where "62 per cent of children living in households where either only one adult works, or where income is too low".
Highlighting issues of child mental health, he said it was "important and often hidden", expressing his concern about "the lack of ring-fencing for other less visible services, particularly social services".
Leslie called for the minister to give assurance that funding would be maintained.
He touched the issues of substance misuse, smoking, teenage pregnancy and poor dental health for children in Nottingham, urging the minister "to find a way to provide capital support for the PCT and the hospital to ensure that more bed space is provided"
And he expressed his concern that Nottingham's speech and language therapy budgets may be squeezed.
The Nottingham East MP called for the minister to explain "how young families can support some of the costs that are involved in healthy lifestyles".
In response for the government, care minister Paul Burstow congratulated the local NHS for the progress that has been made in Nottingham.
He emphasised the need for more joined-up planning, commissioning and delivery in the future, saying the government intends to support efforts in this direction.
The government's decision to secure real-terms increases each year for the duration of this Parliament will enable the NHS in Nottingham to continue improving services he said, but that "spending money more wisely" would be a key focus.
For dental health, the minister noted the work of the 'City Smiles' programme and said two new Nottingham dental practices would be open in October.
On the topic of funding for both speech and language therapy and obesity, the minister said that the local PCT gave him no indication of intentions to cut those services when he last spoke to them. two new dental practices opening in the autumn.
He concluded that the government is focusing on "effective local leadership, effective integration of commissioning and provision, and good leadership from politicians nationally and locally".
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