The Health and Social Care Bill currently in the House of Lords is intended to: sort out the under-funding of social care; remove the need for people to sell their houses to pay for their care; promote joined-up service delivery; replace the competitive model with a collaborative one. Sadly, as I wrote here, it appears […]
Lib Dem Voice
Why waiting times matter in mental health
18 weeks. That’s the target waiting time, often missed, from referral to being seen. From now in deepest darkest December to Mid April, what an age that is. It’s hard on adults. Arguably harder when that’s how long some of our most distressed young people have to wait for support. 18 weeks or 4 months […]
European health policy and the Conference on the Future of Europe
On the 23rd of October, the Liberal Democrats Abroad and the Liberal Democrats European Group held a discussion session with Irish Senator Timmy Dooley about the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe’s contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe. Mr Dooley underlined the importance of hearing British views on Europe’s future, to […]
Dismissing Dysmenorrhea
So, if you have never had bad period pain, how can I convince you that it really is horrible? You know what bad toothache can be like? That sort of immersive pain experience that completely consumes you. There is very little you can do to get relief. Painkillers barely take the edge off. Concentrating on […]
LibLInk: Christine Jardine on the perfect storm that shows up our bad Governments
In her Scotsman column this week, Christine Jardine looks at the “perfect storm” of food and fuel shortages, health service crisis, Covid and high energy prices we are facing at the moment. She argues that the show how bad both UK and Scottish Governments are – and we shouldn’t let them away with blaming Covid […]
World Suicide Prevention Day: A councillor view from the hill farm
It is World Suicide Prevention Day. Tracey and Richard Huffer farm high on a hill in south west Shropshire. Tracey is also a health professional. Along with myself and four others, we are Lib Dem councillors in a very rural area. Sometimes it feels we can’t sit down for a chat without mentioning the “s” […]
Mental health pressures on Olympic competitors
Liberal Democrats have been strongly campaigning on mental health for several years now. Here is the party’s response to Simone Biles’ acknowledgement of the pressures she has been under. She has won a total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals in gymnastics and the expectations placed on her are exceptional. And if you are […]
Tories backtracking over new Powys Hospitals shows lack of honesty with voters
The admission by the Conservatives that their manifesto pledge to build two new hospitals in Powys won’t be fulfilled has been described as a disappointing breach of trust by the Liberal Democrats. The Conservative manifesto pledges on both the inside cover and on page two that they will build “five new hospitals.” However Welsh Conservatives […]
Rennie: Tackle drug addiction with compassion and treatment, not imprisonment
Liberal Democrats care about people being able to fulfil their potential and getting the care and support they need to recover from illness and addiction. That’s why our Scottish manifesto highlights the need to take a public health approach to addiction. Scotland has the highest drug deaths rate in Europe, something which became very real […]
Depression, Section 136 and a Senedd Candidate
Recently reading that nearly 5 people every day were sectioned across Wales during 2020 really had an effect on me. I decided to stand for election because of my experience not only in the business world but because I am one of those detentions by the police under section 136 of the 1983 mental health […]