Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, visited Shotley Bridge Hospital this morning.
During the visit, Richard met with staff there who have spent the majority of their time this year working to treat those with Coronavirus and he spoke with them about their experiences and how they have coped with and adapted to the pandemic. Richard saw some of the facilities that have been set up to deal with Coronavirus cases.
Richard also had the opportunity to speak with staff about the chemotherapy and cancer treatment services that are provided for those who are suffering from cancer. Shotley Bridge Hospital has a dedicated chemotherapy unit, providing vital healthcare to those who need it and ensuring that people do not have to travel to hospitals further afield to access healthcare.
Richard was accompanied on the visit by Professor Paul Keane, the Chairman of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) and Sue Jacques, the Chief Executive of CDDFT. Also on the visit was Rachel Rooney, Commissioning and Development Manager for the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Nicola Bailey, the Chief Officer for CDDFT.
Richard’s visit was part of his wider campaign to improve health services in North West Durham, which you can read about here and here. Richard has been working with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on this campaign, as well as with local stakeholders and Durham County Council to ensure that North West Durham has the health services it needs to best serve the community.
Commenting, Richard said ‘I was really pleased I had the chance to visit Shotley Bridge Hospital this morning and I want to thank those that helped to organise the visit, especially during this busy time. It was really good to meet staff and hear about their experiences and how their work has changed recently, and it was also really good to see the excellent provisions for care they have there, particularly that which is in place to help those suffering from cancer. We were able to discuss their wider plans for the future – the global Coronavirus pandemic and its local impact has reinforced the need for capacity in our local NHS and has meant it is ever more important that we look at how our health service functions and serves those that need it.’
To hear more about the work that Richard is doing for North West Durham, you can sign up here or input your details in the form on this page.