Category: 3 Featured

This afternoon I sent a cross-party letter to BioMarin, calling on them to make Kuvan more affordable so PKU patients in the UK are able to access it. It is about time BioMarin put patients before profits.

This follows the petition handed in to BioMarin’s London HQ last month, signed by more than 16,000 people, which asked that BioMarin make Kuvan affordable to the NHS. With BBC Newsnight recently covering the problems those with PKU face, we believe this issue is starting to get the attention it deserves.

You can read more about the campaign here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48218737

Over last weekend, I attended some moving Remembrance Day services across the Blaydon constituency, to remember those killed and wounded in conflict, as we marked 100 years since Armistice Day. On Friday morning, pupils from Crookhill school joined residents and local councillors and myself at a service where we remembered those from the Crookhill area who gave their life. In the afternoon, I joined pupils from Dunston Hill Primary School, St. Philip Neri RC Primary School and Kingsmeadow School in a service at the War Memorial in Dunston. Later that day, I attended the Community Remembrance Service at Lucy Street Methodist Church, Blaydon – where we saw a particularly poignant Tommy silhouette.

On Sunday, I joined residents of Whickham and was proud to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph. And later that afternoon, I took part in the Remembrance Service at the Metrocentre. Many other Churches and Communities across the constituency held their own services – from Chopwell to St Paul’s Church, Winlaton, and Birtley.

Thank you to all of you who took part in remembering all those who gave their lives in war and conflict.

Last week I had the pleasure of chairing the latest meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG).

We looked at recent research, which found that those living in fuel poor and vulnerable households are more likely to be victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. The prohibitive costs of heating homes means that not only are they more likely to engage in dangerous behaviour – like using kitchen hobs or ovens to heat their homes, or not getting their appliances serviced as they can’t afford it. They are also often living in precarious housing situations where they feel like they cannot challenge their landlord or are hard to reach by professional services. If their vulnerability is health related, they are also more likely to spend more time in the home, increasing the likelihood of long-lasting effects from low level exposure.

It was troubling to hear some of the experiences people have had with this. I was therefore glad to have the opportunity to discuss what more can be done to help those worst affected by this. I’m look forward to more opportunities to work with APPCOG in the future, and hopefully help those who need it most.

We had an excellent drop-in session with the Big Lottery Fund last Friday in Birtley. The fund have been keen to inform local organisations in the constituency of the funding opportunities available to them. It was an excellent to see so many interested constituents attend.

I will be hosting another drop-in session with the Big Lottery Fund on Friday 2nd November, 10:00-12:00, for those unable to attend the first session. This will take place in Blaydon Library.

Last week I spoke in a debate on Deaf Children’s Services. This followed a debate I led earlier in the year, which proposed the development of a GCSE in British Sign Language. Much of that debate was about giving deaf children the best possible chance of communicating with other people; and getting the best educational outcomes. Sadly, attainment evidence shows this is not happening at present.

I have been keeping an eye on the services available to deaf children -both nationally and in my constituency- and I am disappointed to find that once again this government is ignoring the evidence.

Latest figures show that services available to deaf children are being significantly reduced across the country. Local authority spending on specialist education services for deaf children has been reducing since 2011. This reduction means the futures of deaf children are being “stolen” – according to the National Deaf Children’s Society.

The attainment gap between deaf children and other children is widening. This is not a gap of intelligence but of the support and the tools to communicate and understand as other children do.

Because most schools do not have the knowledge or skills to support deaf children themselves, it is essential that deaf children have access to the specialist support necessary for their learning and development. Improving access, rather than reducing it, is the only way we can give deaf children the start in life they deserve.

I recently met with representatives from the Big Lottery Fund to discuss how local organisations can access funding.

I’m looking forward to getting the message out to organisations across the constituency that there are funding opportunities available.

You can find out more about how your organisation can access funding by visiting the Big Lottery Fund website, here: https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/national-lottery-awards-for-all-england

A fabulous morning celebrating the 70th birthday of our NHS with friends, service users and our former MP Dave Anderson who worked hard to get the primary care centre built in Blaydon under the last Labour government.

I was delighted to present health care staff with a card and birthday cake to enjoy today (while the rest of the country are watching the match).

Let’s continue to defend the health service and here’s to the next 70 years!

The happiest of birthdays to our NHS!

Today is the day we celebrate the fantastic work NHS staff have done over the last 70 years: taking care of all of us – regardless of our income.

The NHS represents Labour’s central vision for the UK; a vision of equality and a good standard of living for all.

I hosted an event this week for colleagues to learn more about the diet we will be undertaking next week as part of the ‘PKU Diet for a Day Challenge’.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare metabolic disorder which leaves those affected with the inability to metabolise the amino acid found in protein. Currently, the only treatment available in the UK is a highly restrictive and complex low protein diet.

Members of the All-Party Group on PKU are therefore taking part in this challenge to raise awareness of the condition. Our challenge is to eat a diet that gives you an incredibly low amount of protein – no more than 10g a day.