One of the big issues that residents have been contacting me about this winter is the NHS, so I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some of the work I’ve been doing on this in recent months.

In Woking we don’t have a major hospital, so many residents rely on the services provided by Ashford and St Peter’s. Unfortunately, it’s facing an £80 million repair backlog, which puts patient care at risk.

In Parliament, I asked the Chief Secretary to the Treasury when will the Government allocate sufficient funding to fix our crumbling hospitals.

I was disappointed by the non-committal response that the current administration has “restored capital investment in our health service”.

Whilst this lack of commitment from ministers is, regrettably, something I now expect, it does nothing to address my concerns and those of Woking residents.

I will continue to press for the proper, long-term investment our health service needs, so that people in Woking can reliably access the high-quality services they deserve.

On a more positive note, I’ve also been fighting for cheaper travel for NHS workers.

A Woking resident who works as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital recently contacted me because her long hours and shift patterns mean she is unable to use a return ticket to go to and from work.

As a result, she ends up paying significantly more simply to get to work and provide vital care to children.

For key public sector workers, the affordability of public transport is critical. I’m delighted that, when I raised this issue in Parliament, the Transport Secretary agreed to look into the case to ensure NHS staff can spend less on travel, including through the introduction of longer validity return tickets.

Turning to a separate matter, thanks to the shorter days and darker nights, as well as a range of annual celebrations from Guy Fawkes Night in November, through to the New Year’s Eve, the winter period is undoubtedly the busiest time of year for firework use.

As a result, the top animal welfare concern that Woking residents have raised with me in recent months has been the distress caused to pets by fireworks. As a dog owner myself, I know how unsettling fireworks can be for pets.

For the major annual events, pet owners do have the chance to plan and put measures in place to mitigate the impact.

However, unannounced or informal fireworks let off at antisocial times can be extremely unsettling and difficult to manage for many pet owners.

I am a fan of fireworks, but I do believe in the need to limit the disturbance caused to animals. That’s why I spoke in Parliament to urge the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy finally addresses the impact of fireworks on pets and their owners.

Clearer rules and better communication would make a real difference, and I will continue to push for action that provides much-needed relief for families and their animals.

Whether it is securing proper investment in our NHS, supporting the staff who keep it running, or standing up for animal welfare, I will continue fight for practical, common sense solutions to the issues that matter to Woking.

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