Welcome to this week's newsletter.
First up-if you live in St Barnabas Ward in North West Crewe we have a great local council candidate who has done lots of stuff in the ward and wants to hear what else he can do to improve things locally. Find out more info below (you can check here if you are on the border and aren't sure if you are in the ward www.writetothem.com)
The Government have announced its plan to cut NHS waiting times. This includes increasing capacity with more staff, beds and ambulances. While I understand this isn't a quick fix, I have been pushing them to do more - so I welcome this additional investment into our health service.
They also announced their Environment plan, which aims to restore nature, reduce pollution, and increase prosperity. Read on below to find out more details on this plan.
In Parliament this week, I met with the Hospital Minister to discuss my campaign to rebuild Leighton Hospital. You can read more about my campaign and help support it by signing my petition below:
https://www.drkieranmullan.org.uk/news/leighton-hospital-new-build-campaign
I have been contacted to say that some local residents may be affected by the collapse of Better Retirement Group and may be entitled to compensation. Read on below to find out more.
Finally, the Thales Group have launched their MARSBalloon project - in which schools are invited to design experiments which will be taken by balloon to conditions similar to that on Mars. This will test how various materials are affected by the extreme conditions on Mars. This project is open to any school, so if you want to suggest it to your children's school or work at a school, you can find out more and register via the link below by 31st March.
https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/futuremartians
Have a great weekend.
Crewe St Barnabas Survey
Plan to Cut NHS Waiting Times
Meeting With Hospitals Minister
Better Retirement Group - Compensation
MARSBalloon Project
Environment Plan
Traffic Report
Crewe St Barnabas Ward survey
Do you live in Crewe St Barnabas ward?
If you do I'd like to “virtually” introduce you to James Pratt!
I have got to know James over the last two years as a local resident that is relentless in going on and on at Cheshire East to get things fixed and improved in his area. He has got more done than a lot of sitting Councillors often achieve! He has organised litter picks, got graffiti cleaned up, street lights fixed and more! Tell him what you want doing for the ward on his survey and he will try:
https://www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/crewe-st-barnabas-resident-survey-2023/
And give his page a Like/Follow if you live in the area and want to see what is getting done and maybe even if you want to help!
I think he would make a great councillor and get even more done than he does now.
Plan to Cut NHS Waiting Times
We all know that the NHS is facing serious challenges following the Covid Pandemic and one of the worst flu seasons in a while. For anyone that says this is about party politics, remember the problem is the same in both Wales, where Labour runs the NHS and Scotland, where the SNP run the NHS. There has been a huge increase in demand, with more attendances at A&E than ever before in December and more GP appointments than ever before.
I have been telling the Health Secretary how difficult frontline staff are finding it. I understand why people have had enough, and the focus has been on pay, but I continue to think that money should be concentrated on expanding the workforce and improving working conditions as a result. Colleagues tell me rota gaps and vacancies are what make a difficult situation so much worse. If we invest in very large pay increases, the progress made on expanding the workforce is going to falter.
The Government has launched its plan to fix A&E and ambulance waiting times to help deliver a health service that people can rely on.
This includes:
- £1 Billion to increase capacity with more beds, ambulances and staff
- Reducing pressure by speeding up discharge, expanding new ways to treat people in the community and enhancing NHS 111 services
- Improving local services, so all areas get the absolute best care.
I know how difficult it has been for many. This is not a quick fix, but I have been pushing the Government to do more, so I welcome this additional investment.
Meeting with Hospital's Minister
This week, I had a meeting with the Hospital's Minister, Nick Markham, to discuss my campaign to get a rebuild of Leighton Hospital.
As you will know, I have been working on this issue since becoming an MP.
Leighton Hospital was built in the 1970s and was never planned to still be in use today. It has benefited from several significant investments in new theatres and other facilities. But the reality is add-on blocks and new facilities can only take you so far. Leighton needs a total rebuild, and we need to secure the funding to do this.
Leighton has developed full costed plans for a rebuild and knows how to do it in a way that will enable the hospital to carry on its vital work.
Support the campaign and sign a petition here: https://www.drkieranmullan.org.uk/news/leighton-hospital-new-build-campaign.
Better Retirement Group - Compensation
I have been told that some constituents might be affected by the collapse of Better Retirement Group and could be entitled to compensation. Read below for more information.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has declared Better Retirement Group Ltd (formerly Directly Financial Ltd and Financial Strategy Ltd) in default following the liquidation of the business. Any former customers of Better Retirement Group Ltd may now be eligible to claim compensation from FSCS if they were misadvised by the firm.
Some customers may have taken advice from the firm in relation to the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS). During 2017, many British Steel workers were advised to transfer out of their defined benefit pension into a defined contribution pension, often known as a Personal Pension Plan or a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). By transferring to a private pension arrangement, they would have lost the benefits already built up in their BSPS plan.
It may be the case that you can make a claim for compensation with FSCS due to receiving unsuitable advice from Better Retirement Group Ltd. FSCS has a dedicated webpage on the firm, which can be found below:
https://www.fscs.org.uk/making-a-claim/failed-firms/better-retirement-group/
You will need to complete a claim application if you think you were misadvised, which is linked on the webpage.
You can find a guide on making a claim here:
https://www.fscs.org.uk/making-a-claim/claims-process/defined-benefit-pension-transfers/
Claims can be complex in nature and may take time to properly investigate. More information on the process and timescales can be found here:
https://www.fscs.org.uk/making-a-claim/claims-process/timescales/
You can also use the FCA's defined benefit advice checker if you are unsure about the advice you received from Better Retirement Group Ltd, which is available here:
https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/pension-transfer-defined-benefit/advice-checker
MARSBalloon Project
The Thales Group have launched their 2023 MARSBalloon Project.
They will send 150 student experiments to an altitude of over 18 Miles. At that height, the temperature is -50°C, pressure is 1/100th of that at sea level, and there are increased radiation levels. This will allow students to test materials in similar conditions to that on Mars - helping future explorers prepare for the hostile environment.
This project is open to any school, so if you want to suggest it to your children's school or work at a school, you can find out more and register via the link below by 31st March.
https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/futuremartians
Environment Plan
The Government has launched its Environmental Improvement Plan - a strategy to help us restore nature, reduce pollution, and increase prosperity.
This includes:
Creating or restoring 500,000 Hectares of wildlife habitat
Ensure everyone lives no more than 15 minutes away from a green or blue space
Upgrading the water system to restore 70km of river
New targets to tackle air quality hotspots
Funding to support green jobs and growth
Find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-improvement-plan.
Traffic Report
The following are road closures for the week ahead, as reported by Cheshire East.
Middlewich Road - Find out more here: https://www.facebook.com/KieranMullanUK/posts/pfbid0anK63SQyzag2hqXJvW19BiFzNZoUdFKs7g57q7jr4tz2DBMbPVXqAJy9fxZQpNwel
Goddard Street, Crewe - 30th January until 31st March
Waterloo Road, Haslington (Between Cross Road and Field Road) - 18th January until 7th February
Mill Lane, Oakhanger - 16th January until 14th April
Lime Tree Avenue, Crewe - 19th January until 3rd March
Flag Lane, Crewe - 18th January until 10th April
Delamere Street (Between Flag Lane and Saint Mary's Street) - 18th January until 10th April