The Royal Town Conservative Association office team wish every one a very Happy New Year!

Sutton Park School

My first visit of 2023 was to Sutton Park School (formerly Banners Gate) in New Oscott, where I met head teacher Lucy Middleton and deputy head, Emily Dunnge, to talk about the school’s impressive achievements and the exciting changes afoot.

This may be one of the most improved schools in the country, following a significant change in leadership and structure, which was made possible in part by the tremendous support of the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust.

Sutton Park School is also one of the Royal Town’s schools selected for the government’s Schools Rebuilding Programme which was announced just before Christmas. It was great to see everyone kicking off the New Year in such high spirits.

Improving Health Care at Manor Practice

Amid the debates on the NHS, I visited Manor Practice, one of the Royal Town’s wonderful surgeries, who are focused on improving services to patients.

During my meeting with practice manager, Leanne Hoye, together with GPs Dr Forshall and Dr Fraser, we discussed a variety of issues, in particular the measures being taken to beat the backlog.

The Practice is now offering face to face as well as phone appointments, and they have recruited 3 new trainee GPs to provide added support. In addition, they are in the process of installing a new online system which will enable them to streamline operations.

In response to the difficulties Manor Practice have experienced with telephone system, the team there said following:

“The Manor Practice is aware it is difficult to get through to us by telephone, so we have introduced a new way to contact us online. There is a link on the website which will allow you to submit non-urgent medical and administrative queries to the practice, and receive a response within 72 hours.”

The team recommend that those eligible should get their Covid and flu vaccines. They also asked that patients should be mindful of their behaviour to hard working staff, at an extremely challenging moment for GPs grappling with the post-Covid backlogs.

Roto Spa

I always enjoy visiting local businesses, particularly when they demonstrate an innovative flair. Roto Spa in Boldmere is definitely making a splash and as the only manufacturer of hot tubs in the UK, it is one of the jewels in the Royal Town’s crown!

The company designs and manufactures hot tubs for the UK market (though it has just received its first export order), using the best energy efficient technology available.

During my visit to the Roto Spa showroom, I met with the MD Karl Rowntree and design manager Lynden Rakowski. The company has a £5m turnover and employs 26 people in Sutton Coldfield. Having recently won a Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce award, this company’s star is firmly on the rise.

New Years Honours List in Royal Sutton Coldfield!

I’m delighted that three Royal Town constituents were recognised in the New Year’s Honours list - accolades awarded to those who have made exceptional contributions in society:

Mr Jaspal Singh Mann received and MBE for services to the environment; Mrs Jane Cook and Mr Christopher Hall both received a BEM for services to Fostering.

Congratulations to them all!

Prime Minister’s speech

In his New Year speech ahead of the House of Commons’ return on Monday, prime minister Rishi Sunak set out the government’s five key pledges:

• Halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living
• Grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity across the country
• Ensure national debt is falling
• NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly
• Pass new laws to stop small boat crossings, making sure those who arrive illegally are detained and swiftly removed

The key point is that our prime minster is making commitments with timelines in an open and transparent way. The British public, ultimately, will be the judge. As the prime minister said: "no tricks... no ambiguity. We either deliver or we don’t". It’s as simple as that.

Strikes Latest: Keep Talking

Yesterday the government invited trade unions to call off strikes and discuss fair and affordable pay settlements for the forthcoming year.

Industrial action is disruptive for everyone – from people relying on essential services to get to work or care for their family, to hard-working business owners whose sales suffer. That is why it is important that all sides get back to the table to discuss pragmatic options as soon as possible.

The government is also introducing new laws to guarantee minimum safety levels in vital public services, including health, education, fire services, transport and border security, restoring the balance between those seeking to strike and protecting the public from disproportionate disruption.

Introducing minimum safety levels will ensure the public are not put at risk during strike action and is the best way of balancing the right to strike with our duty to protect the wider public. This balance is protected in many developed countries.

NHS Latest: Record Number of Doctors and Nurses

Figures released yesterday show there are record numbers of doctors and nurses working in the NHS in England, easing pressure over winter by delivering extra appointments, speeding up diagnoses and beating back the Covid backlog.

The government is committed to delivering a properly funded health service with a strong workforce, providing quality care for everyone who needs it.

A serious recruitment drive has brought in almost 4,700 more doctors and over 10,500 more nurses since October 2021 – which means there are now more than 35,300 more doctors and over 47,100 more nurses working in the NHS than in 2010.

The government is on track to deliver on our manifesto commitment to recruit 50,000 more nurses by 2024 as we work to improve patient outcomes.

Any Questions?

I will be participating in this evening’s panel on Any Questions?. For those who are interested, do tune into to Radio 4 at 8 pm!

Useful Information

Forthcoming dates and locations for Mobile Household Recycling Centres (MHRCs) in Sutton Coldfield:

• Mon 23/01/2023 Knighton Drive B74 4QP 07:00 12:00 Sutton Four Oaks
• Tue 24/01/2023 Ley Hill Road B75 6TE 07:00 12:00 Sutton Mere Green
• Wed 25/01/2023 Falcon Lodge Crescent B75 7RD 07:00 12:00 Sutton Reddicap
• Thu 26/01/2023 Harvest Fields Way B75 5TJ 07:00 12:00 Sutton Roughley
• Fri 27/01/2023 Ebrook Road B72 1NU 07:00 12:00 Sutton Trinity