by Paul Scully | Nov 24, 2016 | News |
I attended an Alzheimer’s Society Parliamentary Reception celebrating the successes of the charity’s Dementia Friends initiative in Parliament.
I joined MPs, people with dementia, and those working in the community, to recognise the achievements of the Dementia Friendly Parliament initiative to date. So far over 300 parliamentarians and parliamentary staff have taken part in dementia awareness sessions making them Dementia Friends, and they are now working towards a more dementia friendly Parliamentary estate.
A Dementia Friendly Parliament is one which creates a supportive and inclusive environment for anyone affected by dementia. The joint project between Alzheimer’s Society and The Speakers of the House of Commons and Lords aims to create greater awareness of dementia among parliamentarians, to guarantee informed and positive debate on issues related to people with dementia and their carers, and ensure future legislation protects them.
The event also highlighted the work that the UK and other countries are doing to raise awareness of dementia globally, including the roll-out of Dementia Friends across the world. Guests heard speeches from David Mowat MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for State for Community Health and Care, Jeremy Hughes, CEO at Alzheimer’s Society, and Shelagh Robinson, who is living with dementia.
I am delighted to support the Alzheimer’s Society in their work to create the world’s first Dementia Friendly Parliament. It is a great way to raise awareness amongst politicians and the initiative has made great progress over the years to end stigma around dementia. But it is clear that there is still much more that we can do to get a fairer deal for those living with dementia. We can learn a lot from the great work going on our communities across the country, and indeed across the world, and events such as this are a fantastic way to highlight this.
Plans for the coming year include extending the Dementia Friends scheme to all staff members of the parliamentary estate and the launch of a guide for MPs to help them champion the rights of people with dementia in their community.
I also continue to support of the Alzheimer’s Society UK here in Sutton after I met with them last year.
To find out more and become a Dementia Friend visit their website here.
by Paul Scully | Nov 23, 2016 | News |
Yesterday I welcomed the Mayor of London to the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton to unveil the UK’s first MR Linac machine.
The Royal Marsden in Sutton, together with The Institute of Cancer Research, was chosen to be the first location in the UK to host this state-of-the-art radiotherapy machine – one of only 7 centres in the world, thanks for a £10 million grant from the Medical Research Council.
The MR Linac combines two technologies – an MR scanner and linear accelerator – to precisely locate tumours, tailor the shape of X-ray beams in real time and accurately deliver doses of radiation to moving tumours.
The location of tumours and organs within the body changes from day to day or even constantly. For example, a tumour in the lung will move up and down as a person breathes, and a tumour in the prostate might move from day to day depending on what the person has eaten and how full their bowel is. Constant monitoring of the patient during treatment will enable the most precise targeting of the tumour and help avoid healthy tissue. This is key to refining radiotherapy for the future and is what the MR Linac promises.
Thanks to the Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton is on the map as a world leader in fighting cancer. This is very exciting news for Sutton and I know my colleagues in Government are very supportive of the work being done here.
I want to congratulate the Royal Marsden on being chosen and to thank the Mayor of London for joining me to celebrate this exciting event.
by Paul Scully | Nov 21, 2016 | News |
The Health Help Now app and website has been launched in Sutton.
Health Help Now is a ground-breaking web app that helps people find the right local health services to meet their health needs, especially when they need medical help fast but it is not a life-threatening emergency. It is available both in app form on Android and Apple, and online (http://www.healthhelpnow-nhs.net/).
It is estimated between 15 and 25 per cent of people attending A&E could use another service instead, which would save the NHS nationally time and millions of pounds every year. Instead, we know they go to A&E, often because they do not know what else to do.
The app and website have been both designed to help people check their symptoms and find the best place for treatment – showing which services near them are open. It will help people to know when to go to A&E, and when not to. The information has been developed with the input of clinicians and includes advice about how people can treat themselves at home for minor illnesses and injuries. After clicking on an age group, symptoms and location, people are given options for treatment with the most suitable listed first.
I encourage you to download the app and give it a go. The Sutton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will be launching it during their popular Patient Education Events over the next couple of months and will continue to publicise it through GP surgeries, pharmacies, as well as online.
by Paul Scully | Nov 17, 2016 | News |
I had the pleasure of attending the Crohn’s MAP Vaccine Ball at Epsom Downs Racecourse to support the work being done to promote this vaccine.
I was joined by Councillor Arthur Hookway, snooker player Ali Carter and local celebrity Tim Vine.
The Crohn’s MAP Vaccine team came together to support the ground-breaking work of Prof. John Hermon-Taylor. It comprises a large group of volunteers all of whom are directly affected by Crohn’s disease. They believe the Crohn’s MAP Vaccine currently is the best hope of curing Crohn’s disease. This is based on over 30 years of research, hundreds of scientific papers and the contribution of scientists from all round the globe.
Their key objectives are to:
- To provide a comprehensive resource on the role of MAP in Crohn’s Disease;
- To provide the latest information about progress on the Crohn’s MAP Vaccine and MAP Test;
- To raise funds through the Kings College London charity (project MEN9150) to complete the work of Professor Hermon-Taylor on the MAP Diagnostic Test. The MAP Diagnostic Test is a key tool essential for conducting a clinical trial of the Crohn’s MAP Vaccine.
The event was a great success and I was pleased to lend my support to this important step to finding a cure for Crohn’s Disease. I want to thank them for inviting me and allowing me to speak, and I would encourage anyone interested in finding out more to check out their website.
by Paul Scully | Nov 16, 2016 | News |
Yesterday I joined a number of MPs to deliver a Fair Fuel UK petition to HM Treasury calling for a fairer deal for drivers and to keep fuel duty down.
I have also co-signed a letter to the Chancellor, Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, urging him to cut fuel duty in the Autumn Statement, putting more money in the pockets of drivers in Sutton, Cheam and Worcester Park, but also to set up a powerful PumpWatch watchdog to stop motorists in getting ripped off at the forecourt by big oil companies.
I’m backing this letter as cutting fuel duty would be a huge boost to drivers in Sutton – and of massive benefit to local businesses.
The new watchdog would also ensure motorists could see who their money is going to when they fill up.
