FIONA BRUCE SUPPORTS STAFFORD MP JEREMY LEFROY’S HEALTHCARE SAFETY BILL

FIONA BRUCE SUPPORTS STAFFORD MP JEREMY LEFROY’S HEALTHCARE SAFETY BILL

Speaking in the House of Commons, Fiona Bruce MP expressed strong support for the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Bill, introduced this month by Jeremy Lefroy, the MP for Stafford. The Bill, which makes a priority of patient safety, had its first Parliamentary debate on 7^th November, in which Fiona Bruce MP spoke, saying:

‘This Bill has the potential to provide significant improvements right across this country to the treatment and care of patients requiring medical assistance.’

Later in her speech, Fiona Bruce MP added:

‘Jeremy Lefroy MP’s…tireless work to do everything possible to ensure that this country never again experiences tragedies of the type reported from Mid Staffordshire hospital. Indeed, my hon. Friend’s constituents have cause to be extraordinarily proud of him…I do not believe that any other Member could have worked harder for their constituents in this connection. He has raised their concerns in this House countless times. The Bill is another carefully considered and utterly compassionate response—so characteristic of my hon. Friend—to those events. It is a focused, effective and, above all, practical proposal. It has one overriding focus: patient care. It deserves to be fully supported in its passage through the House. Its proposals are specific, realistic and immediately applicable. It will bring about real changes in the lives of real people right across the country at their weakest and most vulnerable moments.’

In his speech to open the debate, Jeremy Lefroy MP said:

‘The Bill arises out of a determination to ensure that what happened at Stafford, and indeed elsewhere, should not be repeated. It seeks to ensure that the focus on safety and quality of care we are seeing is not only maintained, but strengthened, and, most importantly, it seeks to ensure that it cannot be reversed. Of course, legislation on its own will not guarantee safe and high-quality care—leadership, culture and resources are all vital elements—but by making it clear in law what is expected of those providing health care, the Bill will go a long way to doing so.’

2.    Fiona Bruce MP’s speech can be found here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141107/debtext/141107-0001.htm#14110771000484

3.     The full debate can be found here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141107/debtext/141107-0001.htm#14110771000001

4.    This Bill will be discussed next in Parliament on 10th December at its Committee Stage

Nation of Livesavers Campaign

Fiona Bruce MP joins the ‘Nation of Lifesavers’ campaign to save 5,000 lives

Calls for secondary schools to register for free innovative CPR training kit

Fiona Bruce MP is urging people to join the campaign to dramatically increase the number of people trained in life-saving CPR and help create a Nation of Lifesavers and particularly on secondary schools to register for a free CPR training kit.

More than 30,000 people suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest in the UK every year – 80% of which occur in the home, often in front of family members and loved ones.

But fewer than one in ten people survive, partly because not enough people have the skills and confidence to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The British Heart Foundation says that the Nation of Lifesavers initiative could save around 5,000 additional lives a year in the UK, based on survival rates in countries like Norway (25%) where CPR training is mandatory in schools.

The BHF is calling for CPR and public access defibrillator (PAD) awareness to be taught in all secondary schools and a recent survey showed 82%⁵ of people would be behind this move.

Since the launch of the campaign on October 16, more than 5,000 people have already signed the petition to make these skills part of the curriculum.

Fiona has pledged her support for the Nation of Lifesavers campaign and called on secondary schools and community groups in the Congleton Constituency to order their free Call Push Rescue Training Kit.

Fiona Bruce said: “Cardiac arrest survival rates fall way behind where CPR training is not part of the curriculum. I urge the local schools to register for a free training pack. If our young people can finish school equipped with the necessary skills to respond in a medical emergency then just 30 minutes of training could save someone’s life.”

Fiona was joined by Samantha Hobbs, who at 14 helped to save her mum’s life by performing CPR. With her dad, they kept her mum alive until the emergency services arrived and could get her heart beating again with a single electric shock from a defibrillator.

Samantha had been trained in CPR so she knew what to do. Now she’s campaigning to raise awareness amongst others so that more people are trained and more lives can be saved.

Samantha said: “I was only able to help save my mum’s life because I’d been trained in CPR. I don’t know what might have happened if I hadn’t. We’re really pleased to be able to support the BHF’s Nation of Lifesavers campaign and spread the message about the importance of CPR. I hope more lives are saved.”

On October 16, the BHF trained nearly 12,000 schoolchildren at the launch of a new CPR training programme which is free for schools to register for.

The innovative training programme enables schools, workplaces, and community groups to become completely self-sufficient in teaching the three simple steps that could save a life: Call. Push. Rescue.

Simon Gillespie, BHF Chief Executive, said: “Too many lives are lost needlessly because people don’t have the basic CPR skills to act in life-threatening situations.

“We’re determined to radically improve the country’s shocking survival rates and mandatory training in secondary schools will go a long way towards that.

“We need every school, workplace, community group and individual to join the Nation of Lifesavers and help make the UK a safer place to live.”

To help the BHF create a Nation of Lifesavers visit bhf.org.uk/lifesavers and sign our petition at bhf.org.uk/cprpetition

Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, Wheelock

Fiona Bruce MP visits newly refurbished Brethren Church in Wheelock

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church at Wheelock recently held a Community Open Day offering lunch to members of the local community to celebrate the opening of their new church at Wheelock and their recently renovated church building.

Having purchased the land and building in 2012 the PBCC church members have themselves restored renovated and converted the building taking over 6 months to make it a suitable place of worship. Talks were held with the planning committee, conservation officer and local community t come up with a suitable scheme which preserves the historic value of the over 100 years old building in its natural surroundings. The exterior of the building has been left intact but the interior substantially converted into a modern, light and airy meeting room.

Nelson Hutchins, member of the PBCC, commented “It was a brilliant project to be part of with deadlines to meet which really helped the motivation and drive to get it done on time.”

With the work now finished the PBCC opened the site to the public for the first time since completion and among those present at the open lunch was Fiona Bruce MP for Congleton who provided an extremely supportive atmosphere during her 60 minute visit.

She stated that the lunch was “delicious, and the most interesting part of the day was the company – a mixture of members of the Brethren congregation and people from the local community. The church members were warm, friendly and welcoming, and it was a most enjoyable event.”

Nelson Hutchins added “It was noticeable that during the event a real sense of community was established – a time for caring, sharing and learning. PBCC community members aged 8 to 80 made local residents feel welcome and younger members assisted the elderly serving food.”