by Paul Scully | Feb 5, 2016 | News |
On Monday, I joined Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust and signed up to the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) Dignity Code, reaffirming my support for the trust’s ongoing commitment to providing elderly people with the care they deserve.
I was joined by Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles, as well as special guests from the NPC and Sutton Seniors’ Forum, at the event organised by Barry Todman, Chairman of the London Region National Pensioners’ Convention.
Daniel said: “I was really pleased to be invited to sign the Dignity Code, which draws together some of the most important principles of caring for elderly people with the dignity they deserve. I am proud to say that our hospitals are already leading the way when it comes to providing outstanding care for our older patients, and formally endorsing the Dignity Code is further evidence of our commitment to continue providing them with the best possible care.”
The signing was particularly significant as it happened on Dignity in Action Day. It also gave me and the other guests the opportunity to have a tour of the C2 Ward at St Helier, which has a special focus on caring for patients living with dementia.
Daniel explained: “C2 is a newly adapted ward, which has been specifically designed to include features known to help people with dementia feel less disorientated or confused, providing an environment which will allow the delivery of personalised care based on the specific needs of patients with dementia.
“My thanks to Carole Webster, Deputy Chief Nurse, Debi Miller, Older Persons’ Assessment and Liaison Lead Nurse, and the team on C2 for giving us a tour of the ward and telling us about some of the fantastic work they are doing.”
I also want to thank Daniel, the Sutton Seniors Forum (SSF), the NPC and all the staff at St Helier Hospital for inviting me and allowing me to be a part of this very important event. Elderly care, particularly care for patients with Dementia, is something I think is particularly important we get right with an ageing population, and I am pleased to do my bit to support our local NHS Trust in improving this area of healthcare in Sutton.
The NPC is the largest pensioner organisation in the country and has members in all the London Boroughs. For more information about the NPC, please visit www.npcuk.org.
For more information about Epsom and St Helier hospitals, visit www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk. You can also follow them on Twitter or find them on Facebook.
by Paul Scully | Feb 4, 2016 | News |
Recently I had the pleasure of welcoming some Sixth Form students from Sutton Grammar School to Parliament.
They went on a tour of the Palace of Westminster and then joined me for a Q&A session, where questions covered everything from life as a new Member of Parliament and the UK’s Membership of the European Union. I hope everyone enjoyed their visit and I want to thank all the staff and students at Sutton Grammar who came along.
If you would like a tour of the Palace of Westminster, or of Big Ben, then email my team at info@scully.org.uk.
by Paul Scully | Jan 23, 2016 | News |
Yesterday I met with Cyrus Dana, the Store Manager, and staff at the Sainsburys Supermarket in North Cheam as part of their Active Kids programme.
Sainsbury’s launched Active Kids in 2005 to inspire school children to do more physical activity. The scheme was created to appeal to kids of all ages and abilities – not just those who excel in sport. It’s since been extended to include nurseries, Scout and Girlguiding groups and sports clubs, who can all collect vouchers to exchange for equipment and experiences.
Active Kids has also evolved by recognising that eating well is just as important as moving well. That’s why schools and groups can now collect for a large range of cooking equipment too. They’ve also created a suite of Cooking and Nutrition Toolkits for teachers, which have been endorsed by the British Nutrition Foundation, to help kids learn the importance of a balanced diet.
It was a pleasure to meet with the staff at North Cheam Sainsburys and I’m looking forward to working with them in the community in the future.
by Paul Scully | Jan 22, 2016 | News |
Last Friday I had the pleasure of visiting the Orchard Hill College in Carshalton to meet staff and students at the College and take a tour of their site.
It was interesting for me to hear about how the college is helping students with access to work opportunities, as well as engaging then with the local community. I was even able join in with a Skype session with fellow students at the Beaconsfield Centre in New Malden.
The teaching staff in the centre showed me some of the students work and explained more about the destination packages and study programmes they offer.
I would like to thank all the staff and students at Orchard Hill and I’m looking forward to doing more with them in the future.
To find out more about what they do, you can visit their site here.
by Paul Scully | Jan 21, 2016 | News |
Last week I visited Barclays on Sutton High Street, where I met with staff at the branch to tell me about their work in the community, changes in banking, where the industry is currently at and new features appearing in their branches.
I was joined by Peter O’Shea, Community Banking Director, Mandy Bell, Sutton Branch Manager, and Danny Reardon, Head of Corporate Relations for London and South East.
One of the main topics of discussion was how banking was changing and adapting to new technologies. With the rise of internet banking and many people able to do many, if not most of their banking online, I was interested to hear how branches were responding to this. Apart from the obvious need to be there for people who want to pay-in money, I learned how branches were introducing more interactive counters. Rather than staff sitting behind a counter when I visited, I was shown how, manned with tablets, staff would interact with customers and assist them using new banking technologies.
I was also impressed to hear about the work Barclays does in the community. They encourage their staff to take two volunteering days a year and how branches get involved in local events sponsoring good causes.
I was delighted to also meet JD Adams during my visit. JD was taken on by Barclays as an apprentice and her story really impressed me. She told me about where she’d come from and what a good opportunity it was to get an apprenticeship with Barclays. She was incredibly professional and I am sure she is going to excel as she makes her next career move.
I would like to thank everyone at Barclays in Sutton for having me, and I look forward to working with them on more community projects in the future.
The signing was particularly significant as it happened on Dignity in Action Day. It also gave me and the other guests the opportunity to have a tour of the C2 Ward at St Helier, which has a special focus on caring for patients living with dementia.