David Tredinnick, MP for Bosworth, has spoken at the Sue Ryder event at Westminster to launch new report from think-tank DEMOS “Tailor Made: The future of personalisation for those with complex needs”.

David Tredinnick said, “Sue Ryder is a well-known provider of health and social care services across the UK. I was delighted to be able to attend their event to launch the report on personalisation. Through my work as Chair or the Parliamentary Group for Integrated Health I have campaigned for greater patient choice and involvement in healthcare, and I am pleased to see other organisations and the Government’s new health reforms putting patients at the heart of decision-making”.

He continued, “The Commons Health Select Committee, on which I sit, has held inquiries into education, commissioning and all elements of health policy and I was able to share my experiences on the future of healthcare with the audience. The NHS, along with the economy, are the two big issues in this Parliament.”

He added, “With patient needs changing because of an ageing population and an increase in chronic and long-term conditions there will be a growing need for organisations like Sue Ryder to play its part in providing health and social care services.”

David Tredinnick MP has welcomed a Government backed initiative to allow people to opt out of receiving junk mail if they choose.

David Tredinnick said, “Many individuals like to receive information and special offers from charities, businesses and other organisations. However, many others see postal advertising as an annoyance. There are also environmental issues to consider. A huge number of unwanted letters end up in the bin unread, wasting the paper upon which they are printed and the emissions created by whichever transport method delivered them.”

He continued, “I am pleased that the Government is working with the direct marketing industry to set up a new free-to-use website in April next year so households can opt-out of receiving all types of advertising mail in the post. This replaces the current system, where households have to register with the Mailing Preference Service, the Your Choice Preference Service System and Royal Mail’s Door to Door opt-out service. “

He added, “These developments will help ensure that people are given more control over what they get in their letterbox and also make sure that the mail we do find useful is produced to higher standards and is fully recyclable.”

Katherine Wilson and Christina Bennett both from Burbage, Leicestershire met up with David Tredinnick MP at the special care baby charity Bliss’ recent parliamentary event where it launched its SOS report (Save our special care babies, Save our specialist nurses) on the frontline situation in respect of nurses caring for babies born too soon, too small and too sick in England.

The report highlighted Bliss’ aim for all babies to receive the highest level of care delivered by the right number of specialist nursing staff as there is strong evidence to show that increasing the ratio of specialist nurses to babies in intensive care increases their chance of survival and improves their long term health outcomes.

Katherine Wilson, with Lexie and her grandmother with David Tredinnick MP and Christina Bennett and Charlotte.

Katherine Wilson and Christina Bennett talked to David Tredinnick MP about their experience of having a baby in neonatal care. Katherine’s daughter Lexie was born ten weeks early at George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton by emergency c-section on September 23 2010 due to pre-eclampsia. She weighed 2lb 4.5oz. Katherine was extremely ill and nearly died. Shortly after being delivered Lexie had to be transferred 40 miles to Kettering General Hospital where there was a cot space for her.

Christina’s daughter Charlotte was born 13 weeks early in 2009 weighing just 2lb 5oz. Charlotte had jaundice,  a bleed on each side of her brain, contracted a lung infection called RSV, had several blood transfusions and had to be transferred over 40 miles away to Northampton and stayed there for several weeks. While Charlotte is now 19 months old and after her early start in life is doing well, Christina knows only too well the issues faced by premature and sick babies and their families.

Katherine said about the day: “I thought it was a great success. Our MP, David Tredinnick, listened to all of our concerns. He has even agreed to try to set up a meeting with Andrew Lansley. We couldn’t have asked for more. I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting other campaigners passionate about babies born too soon, too small, too sick.” 

David Tredinnick MP commented: “One in nine babies in Bosworth, are admitted to specialist hospital care each year. Babies have the same right to care as everyone else, yet Bliss’ report shows that our most vulnerable babies may not always be getting the care they need.

“I visited the Leicester Royal Infirmary’s specialist baby unit with Christina earlier this year to see at first hand the fantastic job the healthcare professionals do there and I am delighted to support Bliss’ SOS campaign to ensure all babies born premature and sick get the care they need to give them the best possible start in life.”

Bliss Campaigns and Policy Manager Helen Kirrane said, “We are really grateful to David Tredinnick MP and Katherine and Christina for supporting the launch of our SOS report. Bliss is urging the Health Secretary to commit to improving outcomes for these vulnerable babies making this a priority issue in the guidance he gives to the NHS.”

David Tredinnick MP helped volunteers celebrate a key milestone for a national charity’s Hinckley fundraising outlet.

The British Heart Foundation recently celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the setting up of its Castle Street shop with the local MP on hand to present certificates and commemorative badges to long-serving volunteers.

David Tredinnick, who serves on the House of Commons Health Select Committee, said, “The British Heart Foundation does a great deal of excellent work in the fight against diseases of the heart and circulation, with a particular emphasis on prevention, in order to reduce the number of premature deaths.

“The volunteers at the Hinckley shop are vital to the success of the British Heart Foundation and I have enormous admiration for their dedication to this very good cause over many years.”