As you will probably know, I was appointed Transport Secretary when Theresa May became Prime Minister in July. Sadly this doesn’t mean that I can automatically order Oyster cards for Epsom and rezone the station – there are strict rules (rightly) to stop Ministers doing pet projects in their own constituency. However the issue is […]
The Chief Executive continues to argue for a new build hospital on the Sutton Hospital site, with a lot of services integrated with the Royal Marsden next door. His plans would leave outpatient services and planned care, like that provided by the Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom, but would transfer emergency services to Sutton.
As I have […]
The result of the EU Referendum is clearly a major step for our country. The next steps will need to be handled carefully and in consultation with all the different groups who will be affected by the result.
Locally it is impossible to tell the exact result, as my constituency is spread across three boroughs and […]
I had a letter from the Minister just before Christmas confirming that this is being worked on now, and whilst she did not this time give me a timetable for the change, she did promise me that officials are on the case and that it was her intention that it would happen and that she […]
You may have read that there are discussions taking place about the future of the stroke unit. The NHS has taken a national decision to have a smaller number of “hyper” stroke units to deal with the immediate impact of stroke. In London there has been a reduction in the number of stroke deaths after […]
I had been expecting Oyster Cards to arrive in Epsom in September 2015, as told to me by Govia Thameslink, the company that runs the station. Sadly, this didn’t happen – and I am not best pleased. The delay has arisen from complications in introducing Oyster elsewhere on the network which are now being […]
You may have seen yesterday’s press reports about the future of our local hospitals. The articles suggest that Epsom is one of a group of South London hospitals, of which one is expected to be closed completely. This appears to be based on a report by the independent think tank, the Kings Fund, about its […]
Network Rail have confirmed that there will be a delay of several months before they can start work on the level crossing at Ashtead station. Chris met representatives of the company on July 17th to discuss the problems. He said afterwards: “This is a very annoying development, though they have changed some of the switches […]
The Epsom and St Helier Trust, and its new Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles, have announced that they will retain Accident and Emergency and Maternity services at Epsom hospital for at least the next five years. In the meantime they will be concentrating on their application to become what is called a Foundation Trust, which basically […]
I have had a meeting with Reigate and Banstead Council about the issue of backland development in Nork. I am concerned that the scale of development in some streets is still changing the character of the area inappropriately.
The new national planning framework should give local councils much greater autonomy over local development, as long as […]