After a local GP raised concerns with me about delays in receiving vital test results, I asked the Health Secretary to look into the problem and resolve it as soon as possible.
I will continue to push the Government to improve on cancer care and diagnosis in our area.
Early diagnosis of cancer is critical for saving lives. I was very concerend to hear about local delays in recieving blood test results. I have now raised this directly with the Health Secretary. @CRUK_Policy@macmillancancerpic.twitter.com/JN7fJ3QdfJ
https://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/nhs-e1615397117710.png288288abena oppongasarehttps://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SM-Logo-3.pngabena oppongasare2021-06-18 15:47:582023-03-01 21:16:27Raising Cancer Concerns in Parliament
This week I brought together a group of local disability advocacy and support groups to raise concerns about the operation of the benefits system on people with disabilities with Justin Tomlinson, the Minister for Disabled People, Work and Health.
Earlier this year I met with the Minister to raise concerns about how the pandemic had affected people with disabilities and the failure of the DWP to meet the needs of disabled people.
The Minister agreed to take part in a roundtable with local organisations working on the frontline with disabled people.
I have raised a number of these issues in Parliament during a recent debate on the impact of the pandemic on people with disabilities. In that debate I called for the Government to bring forward a national strategy for disabled people as soon as possible.
Key issues raised at the roundtable included a failure to provide accessible information to disabled people, the problems people with learning difficulties face accessing PIP, the impact of benefit assessments on claimants mental health, and the lack of appropriate training for assessors.
Participants also raised problems with disabled people accessing Universal Credit and the problems some people face due to the increasingly online-only system.
The roundtable discussion will feed into the Green Paper on health and disability which is due to be published shortly.
I urge local organisations and individuals to contribute to the consultation process once it is open.
I am determined that nobody is left behind in Erith and Thamesmead, and this means that disabled people need better treatment from the Government.
I hope the Government will listen to the concerns and bring forward concrete proposals to improve the benefits system for disabled people.
Kara Lee from Bexley Mencap said: “It was fantastic to be involved in such an important conversation to share the experiences and views of people with learning disabilities about the benefit system and how it could be improved. Thank you for organising the meeting to give small organisations, and more importantly the people they represent, a voice about such an important topic.”
Alan Kerr from Metro GAD said: “I really valued the opportunity to speak directly with the Minister of Disabled People to express our very real concerns about the benefits system and the impact it has on their lives.”
https://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Photo-Roundtable-with-Minister-for-Disabled-People-002.png8611868abena oppongasarehttps://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SM-Logo-3.pngabena oppongasare2021-05-20 12:10:402023-02-26 17:47:39Roundtable with Minister and local disabled advocacy groups
Hospitality businesses in Erith and Thamesmead have had an enormously difficult year. On Wednesday 24 March, the House of Commons held a debate to consider support for the hospitality industry during this pandemic.
I spoke at the debate, highlighting the enormous difficulties our local businesses have faced. Not only have they been closed for many months, but when they have been allowed to open, they have faced a constantly changing set of rules and regulations. Many have not received the financial support they needed from the Government, and many are fearful for the future.
In my speech I raised the concerns of several local pubs – including the Abbey Arms in Abbey Wood which I visited in December as part of Small Business Saturday. Pubs that have reached out to me like TheDuchess of Kent in Erith and The Victoria in Belvedere are centres of our communities and they need assurances from the Government that they will provided with support not just to reopen but thrive.
The wedding and events sector has also been extremely hard hit as nearly all their usual business disappeared. Especially worrying is the fact that many businesses in the events sector have been repeatedly refused grant funding by Bexley council – who cite the Government’s tight criteria.
Thank you @abenaopp for standing up for weddings in the hospitality debate yesterday. You have absolutely covered it all - family and small businesses, supply chain, gaps in support... bravo! 👏 #whataboutweddingspic.twitter.com/Rwguo1Pjmm
If it is properly supported, the hospitality industry can and will play a vital role in reviving our economy after this most difficult year. But we need action from the Government right now to ensure this happens.
https://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/parliament-free-use.jpg13511800The Office of Abena Oppong-Asare MPhttps://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SM-Logo-3.pngThe Office of Abena Oppong-Asare MP2021-03-24 18:00:282023-03-01 21:20:22Speaking up for hard-hit local hospitality businesses in Parliament
Last week I requested to speak in the House of Commons chamber about the urgent need for Government support for the events industry. Unfortunately, I was not called to speak directly about the pressing concerns many constituents have contacted me to raise over the past two months. However, I am aware of your concerns and difficulties and I will be raising these with the Government at every possible occasion.
A huge amount of people in Erith and Thamesmead have been impacted by the Government’s failure to offer economic assistance to the events industry during COVID-19.
From the very beginning of lockdown I have received daily emails about the events industry, theatres, the hospitality sector and the creative sector. People who have worked in these industries, contributing to the UK’s economy for years, have been completely abandoned by this Government.
Despite efforts made by myself and colleagues to raise these issues with the Government ask that more support be given, I have unfortunately had to respond to constituents informing them that there is no support package available and the Government doesn’t seem to want to support them.
The Government needs to provide a sector specific support package for the cultural sector; theatres, music, festivals, other live performance venues, but also tourism and hospitality sectors which are inextricably linked.
The events sector is worth £42.3 billion to the UK economy, there are over 25,000 businesses and it sustains 570,000 full time jobs.
There is a reason 35% of the UK visitor economy is accounted for by events. That is because the events industry pulls together the best talent in a whole range of areas. Behind every festival is a team of marketers, performers, hospitality staff, transport operators, event organisers and UK music venues.
Almost every UK music festival has been cancelled this summer, music venues across the country have been unable to open for three months and are unsure of when they can begin to open again, hundreds of thousands of hospitality jobs have already been lost and the industry has warned of thousands more.
What steps is the government taking to support venues which will be unable to open for the foreseeable future, such as music venues and theatres, and therefore unable to subsidise the furlough scheme from August?
If the Government doesn’t act to save businesses and jobs before they are lost we are going to see a huge hole in the economy where our world renowned events industry used to thrive. The Government must act urgently to support people in these industries to avoid a loss of jobs, talent and culture across the UK.
https://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2I8A9463-scaled.jpg17072560abena oppongasarehttps://www.abenaoppongasare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SM-Logo-3.pngabena oppongasare2020-06-29 16:12:322023-03-04 13:02:22Events industry needs Government support to survive