NEWLY elected Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton Sarah Dyke has called for an emergency Health and Care Budget, to support local health services on the brink.
The Liberal Democrats put fixing the NHS and care at the heart of their election campaign, including calls for more GPs, NHS dentists and staffed hospital beds.
The party is now calling for an emergency Health and Care Budget within the next four weeks, to provide urgent investment for local NHS and social care services.
Somerset has lost 54 fully qualified GPs since 2016 and only 37% of adults in the county were seen by a dentist in 2023, compared to 56% in 2017.
Last week, six Liberal Democrats were elected to represent Somerset in the House of Commons, turning swathes of the county orange.
The Conservatives, who held four Somerset seats before the General Election, ended the night with just one, in Bridgwater.
Sarah Dyke held the previous Somerton and Frome seat before the boundary changes came into place. Ms Dyke secured her new seat in Glastonbury and Somerton with 42% of the vote share.
READ MORE: Conservatives endure long, hard night in Somerset as Lib Dems sweep the county
Sarah Dyke said: “I am incredibly proud of the positive campaign that the Liberal Democrats have run in Glastonbury and Somerton, delivering the change that our area was desperately crying out for.
“Whether you voted for me or not, I will work tirelessly for you, to give Glastonbury and Somerton the fair deal that we all deserve.
“That is why I am calling for an emergency Health and Care Budget to fix our NHS, which has been brought to its knees by years of Conservative Party neglect.
“We have listened to the concerns that countless people have put to us on the doorstep, from the crisis facing our local health services to the filthy sewage being pumped into our rivers, to spiralling mortgages and rents, and I promise to be your local champion and take these issues right to the heart of Parliament.”
Agreed. BUT, the NHS should concentrate on hiring the best person for each job, thus making all “diversity and inclusion” employees’ positions redundant, which would provide mmuch of the funding.