Cooper Votes Against Lib Dems Health & Social Care Motions
Mid Cheshire’s Labour MP has rejected two parliamentary motions to tackle the health and care crises.
Tabled as part of the Liberal Democrats’ first Opposition Day since 2009, the first proposal focused on the Carer’s Allowance repayments scandal, calling on the Government to write off existing overpayments and conduct a full review of support for unpaid carers.
The second motion urged Ministers to boost access to community healthcare, lambasting the current wait times for GP, NHS dentist and local pharmacy appointments. Shocking recent data uncovered by the Liberal Democrats revealed that in the last year, 45% of Brits have tried and were unable to get an NHS appointment. The statistics further indicated that 1 in 4 people have been unable to work because of this lack of access to appointments.
The Liberal Democrats’ proposal called for new healthcare mandates which would give everyone the right to see a GP within 7 days (or within 24 hours if in urgent need) and guarantee emergency access to an NHS dentist.
Despite the huge strain on the NHS as we head into the winter months, Labour MPs voted against the motions. Mid Cheshire’s Lib Dems criticised their decision as “deeply disappointing.”
Commenting on the vote, Jack Price-Harbach, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Mid Cheshire said:
“I am deeply disappointed to see that the Labour Government opposed these motions.
During the General Election campaign, I spoke to many voters in Mid Cheshire who told me how difficult it was to get dental appointments for their children, obtain certain types of medication and to see their GP for their urgent medical needs.
Furthermore, the carers’ overpayment scandal is a national disgrace. I know of individual carers who have been unfairly penalised with fines of thousands of pounds, despite already earning a pittance as it is. Families and pensioners across the salt towns are in desperate need of a fair deal.
“That’s why Liberal Democrat MPs threw their support behind these measures - voting to rescue our GPs, NHS dentists, community pharmacists and of course our carers.
“Locally, we will keep putting pressure on our Labour MP, Andrew Cooper, to do the right thing. Health and social care must be their top priority.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The full text of the carer’s repayment motion is as follows:
“That this House recognises the remarkable contributions that the UK’s 5.7 million unpaid carers make to society and the huge financial challenges many face; notes with deep concern that tens of thousands of carers are unfairly punished for overpayments of Carer’s Allowance due to the £151-a-week earnings limit; believes that carers should not be forced to face the stress, humiliation and fear caused by demands for repayments of Carer’s Allowance; condemns the previous Government for failing to address this scandal; calls on the Government to write-off existing overpayments immediately, raise the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit and introduce a taper to end the unfair cliff edge; and further calls on the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of support for carers to help people juggle care and work.”
ENDS
The full text of the NHS motion is as follows:
“That this House regrets that the NHS has been plunged into crisis by years of neglect by the previous Government, leaving far too many people waiting weeks to see a GP or unable to find an NHS dentist, and children and adults waiting months or even years to receive the mental health care they need; believes that everyone should be able to access high-quality primary care services when they need them and where they need them; condemns the previous Government for presiding over a fall in the number of full-time equivalent fully qualified GPs and NHS dentists in the last Parliament; further regrets that the Government has not yet set out a plan to invest in primary care at the level needed to meet demand; calls on the Government to boost access to GPs, NHS dentists and community pharmacists; and further calls on the Government to give everyone the right to see a GP within seven days or within 24 hours if they urgently need to and to guarantee access to an NHS dentist for everyone needing urgent and emergency care.”
ENDS
Data methodology: Savanta interviewed 2,117 UK adults aged 18+ online on 11th to 13th October 2024. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region, and social grade.
