Fylde has so much to offer, be it world class manufacturing and scientific skills, natural beauty, or the hospitality available in our restaurants, hotels and pubs. Our geography, hemmed in by the Ribble and the sea, means that transport links are especially vital. We are already seeing hundreds of millions of pounds invested in our road network and I will not stop fighting to get further improvements to unlock Fylde’s potential.
On Friday I was onsite at the Preston West Distributor Road, which continues to move apace towards completion. This road will be transformational for rural Fylde, improving access to villages like Newton and Clifton, creating new opportunities to live and work in the area, and offering a faster more direct route to the BAE site at Warton, reducing congestion in Wrea Green.
I am absolutely delighted that the project is not only on schedule, but on budget, something all too rare for large infrastructure projects. This is a credit to the team at the Lancashire County Council and I cannot wait to see the road opened early this summer.
Last week saw the Government announce reforms to primary care, giving an enhanced role for pharmacists in routine medical issues to ease burdens on GP surgeries and a modernised booking system to end the 8am rush for appointments.
Nevertheless, problems persist in dentistry and GP availability, and I met with the new Integrated Care Board to discuss these issues. We spoke about the ongoing changes that are streamlining healthcare provision, with greater interaction between GPs and hospitals, as well as the enhanced role that technology is playing.
It was fascinating to learn about the growing role of so called ‘virtual wards’, which allow conditions to be monitored from home, enabling earlier intervention where needed and freeing up bed space. There are currently 300 ‘beds’ in virtual wards across Lancashire & South Cumbria, with the intention to increase this to 750, the equivalent of a new hospital.
The sun may now be shining and inflation thankfully falling but the financial pressures of the winter continue to be felt. The Government has committed unprecedented support to help Fylde households with the cost of living, through schemes like the Energy Bills Support Scheme, the Energy Price Guarantee, in addition to targeted support such as the £900 Cost-of-Living Payment.
Pensioners have been particularly vulnerable to price rises and last week I spoke in Parliament about the specific support the Government has made available, including the 10.1% increase in the State Pension, the largest cash increase in history, which came into effect last month.
Further help is available, and I would urge anyone over state pension age, or those with relatives who are, to urgently check their eligibility. Pension Credit is worth an average of £3,500 and those who successfully claim by 19th May could also qualify for a £301 Cost of Living payment.