Since I was first elected in 2015, I have advocated for better healthcare provision for my constituents in South East Cambridgeshire. Our county has one of the fastest growing populations in the United Kingdom, and I think it is vital that this fact is reflected in the quality of our services.
In recent months, my activity has involved protecting existing services like Priors Field Surgery in Sutton, Ely, which was in danger of closing at the end of March. Not only would this have left 6000 local residents without a surgery, but it risked overloading other surgeries in my constituency.
I am also pleased that the Secretary of State has confirmed that Cambridge Cancer Hospital will go ahead, which I have campaigned for alongside my neighbouring MP, Anthony Browne. It is thought that preliminary construction for the seven-storey, 26,000 square-metre building will start soon at Cambridge Biomedical Campus and will continue until the first quarter of 2024, when the main construction will start. Work should then be completed sometime between the end of 2026 and early 2027.
The green light for Cambridge Cancer Hospital coincides with a commitment from the Secretary of State to rebuilding two hospitals with ageing infrastructure in the East of England by 2030. The first is Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdonshire, which has been identified as one of five major hospitals in need of priority attention. The second is West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, which I know serves many people residing in the east of my constituency.
Improving healthcare in Ely has always been one of my highest priorities, and so I've also been working with the local health authorities to increase the range of services at the Princess of Wales hospital. This will be facilitated by a multi-million pound Government investment earlier this year in a new Community Diagnostic Centre. Once complete, the centre will offer medical checks, scans and tests, and other diagnostic services, which will cut waiting times at a crucial time for patients.
I look forward to working with local health authorities to see these all of these plans through to completion and continuing to speak up for Cambridgeshire in future funding allocations.
