GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my South West Surrey update No.228 -
Westminster’s focus today is on the NHS with a big announcement I have long campaigned for: a long term workforce plan with a big increase in the number of doctors and nurses we train. Locally I have been dealing with litter and am gearing up for a 25k cycle ride on Sunday in Farnham to raise money for the Royal Surrey Cancer Centre (which will hopefully find it easier to get cancer doctors and nurses!)
WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER
LONG TERM WORKFORCE PLAN Today you may have seen that we are publishing the first long term workforce plan for the NHS. This is something that I have long campaigned for and indeed was one of the main recommendations mentioned in my book, Zero, where I talked about the urgent need to train more doctors and nurses. The plan sets out the NHS’s demand and supply requirements over the next 15 years and the actions needed to make sure we meet those requirements. It is the first of its kind in any national healthcare service anywhere in the world and I really believe it will make a huge difference to future healthcare. In particular:
Training– growing the workforce by funding the largest ever expansion in domestic education and training places and significantly increasing the numbers of training places across the NHS workforce. Medical school training places will be doubled by 2031 and there will be 24,000 more nurse and midwife training places by then too, up 90%. Also 40% more dentistry and 50% more GP training places.
Retention – setting out actions to improve culture, leadership, and wellbeing of NHS staff so we end up with 60,000 more doctors and 170,000 more nurses over a 15 year period.
Reform – modernising the way we train to bring staff into the workforce as quickly and effectively as possible, and targeting them to the areas of the country that we need them most. There will be a consultation on shortening medical degrees and more apprenticeship as a route to becoming a doctor.
INFLATION BATTLES This week I met with the heads of five regulators – banks, water, telecoms, energy, and competition – to agree an action plan to protect consumers in financial difficulty and make sure falling costs feed through into prices. You can read more about it here but the long and short of it is that I want to make sure that markets are working properly to help get inflation down as quickly as possible. The CMA, FCA, Ofcom, Ofgem and Ofwat will all play their part. plan. As I wrote in this week’s Farnham Herald, there are several reasons why our inflation is high, but reducing it remains my absolute priority.
OTHER HMT NEWS As I also wrote here, UK pension pots are the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world at £2.5 trillion but currently international pension funds are currently taking advantage of investments in high-growth UK companies more than UK pension funds. I therefore met with leaders in the industry to understand how we can get the best returns for UK pensions savers whilst still driving growth in the economy. Earlier in the week, I also travelled to Brussels where I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the EU on regulatory cooperation in financial services. Financial services are one of our high-growth sectors and we supply a lot of capital to the EU so this new MOU, made possible by the Windsor Framework, will benefit all sides.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY
INFLATION IS BITING This week me and my team have been doing a deep dive into the impact of inflation locally. Here’s what we heard: Mulberry Silks in Farnham told us that they have not yet had to change their prices because their stock was bought last year, but that they have noticed that stock now has gone up in price by around 10% and are not sure how much to buy for next year as customers are being more hesitant when purchasing. Similarly, Waffles and stuff in Godalming said they recently had to increase their price by around 10% which they had managed to hold off doing as they worked through older stock. This reflects some of the national difficulties– inflation has been taking a while to come down because many shops paid for their stock when costs were still low, meaning there has been a delay in consumers seeing the higher prices when they actually go to buy. Marley Flowers in Haslemere buy their flowers each week from Holland meaning that prices fluctuate, but they have seen a slow and steady increase over the last year. It was good to hear that some of the pandemic issues they had seen– such as growers who decided to stop doing so during covid– are now mostly resolved but energy prices, which have been affecting European countries as well as us, have meant that prices are rising.
In Farnham again, Blue Bear Bookshop have recently said they have recently had to increase their prices by around 10% in their cafe and have noticed an increase in the price of hardbacks by £2-4. Combined with the impact of roadworks, they noticed a drop in footfall, so they are now launching a twice-monthly cinema event, where people can go in and watch old films in the bookshop.
GREEN SPACES Last week I mentioned that I wrote to Chris Wheeler, Executive Head of Environmental Services at Guildford and Waverley Council, about concerning pictures of litter on Peperharow Road raised on the Godalming Community Board. I have now received a reply. Chris said that he has instructed his team to inspect the road and provide guidance to their contractors. Chris also suggested that I encourage anyone to share any concerns on their website’s report pages as this will allow them to hear about problems sooner and respond more swiftly. As ever, please do get in touch with me and my team if the problem continues.
CANCER CAMPAIGN You might already know that I will be riding along with 16 other team members to raise funds for my Cancer and Surgical Innovation campaign this Sunday 2nd July in the Farnham Bike Ride. It will be great to sit down (rather than run!) for my next fundraiser for the Cancer and Surgical Innovation campaign for the Royal Surrey. Anyone who would like to sponsor me can do so by visiting the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jeremy-hunt3 Donations welcome!
ROLL UP, ROLL UP… If you’re feeling lucky, why not come along to The Bourne Show on Saturday 1st July and visit the Friends of Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Campaign stand. The team will be running a bottle and fluffy toy tombola with hundreds of opportunities to win. The brilliant team of volunteers will also be raffling a lovely hamper– all in aid of the cancer campaign. Tickets are just £1 for 3 chances….Good luck!
COMMUNITY BOARDS This week on the Godalming Community Board I noticed complaints about overgrown paths in Farncombe near the station and the local Farncombe CofE Infant School. The pictures clearly show that it is difficult for anyone to walk through the paths as they are so I agree that it is frustrating for those who use the area. I have therefore raised the issue with Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment, Transport and Infrastructure at Surrey County Council and I hope the issue will soon be resolved.
GERTRUDE JEKYLL For any horticulturalists it is very exciting news that Munstead Wood, Gertrude Jekyll’s home and garden until her death in 1932, has become a National Trust property. It is not expected to be public for at least a year but the pictures in this article suggest it will be a very impressive visit when it does open.
CRANLEIGH ARTISAN MARKET Cranleigh’s Surrey Hills Artisan Market returns on Saturday 1st July which will be a great opportunity to hear from our incredible local community of artisans. Details can be found here.
JOIN ME Want to get more involved locally? Email me at [email protected] to join my growing team supporting our work in our community.
AND FINALLY… A marathon and a bike ride for the Cancer Campaign may be tiring but at least I don’t have to deal with the same challenges as this kayaker…
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