Parliament might be in recess, but there’s plenty to cover in this column.
The first has to be the outstanding effort of our Lionesses at the World Cup. The final result wasn’t what any of us would have wanted, but what a tournament it was. Not only did the Lionesses play a brilliant campaign, but they also did what they did so successfully during the women’s Euros. They inspired girls and women across the country to take up football - bringing the beautiful game to millions more people.
Whilst this year wasn’t our year, we know that it’s only a matter of time.
Closer to home, the last week has seen students receiving their A Level, BTEC and GCSE results. This was the first year since the pandemic when results were back to normal grading, and students should be immensely proud of their achievements. This has been one of the most impacted generations from Covid-19, with studies disrupted significantly, but they’ve risen to the occasion.
There are many success stories out there, with students going on to apprenticeships with some of the biggest and best employers; and taking up places at top universities.
The NHS has also seen some big announcements. Locally we all know how devastating it was when the last Labour Government closed Burnley’s A&E in 2017. Sadly, an A&E department isn’t something you can remove and bring back quickly. The infrastructure that sits around it, from the land and space needed for the additional wards, to the staffing and training, is significant and once removed is difficult to bring back.
That’s why it’s so important that we also take a strong interest in what happens at Royal Blackburn Hospital. Whilst it might not be where we want to go, thousands of us will use it every year, and it’s one of the things I get a fair amount of emails and phone calls about.
In the last week the Government has announced a major investment in Royal Blackburn too, to bring a new 27-bed ward. That means more space, more capacity, and faster treatment. That can only be a good thing.
We know the NHS has challenges. Some of them, locally, date back to that disastrous closure. Others because of the legacy impacts from Covid and the backlog that brought. And some because of an ageing population and increased pressure on the system overall.
Investing in both Royal Blackburn and Burnley General is essential to tackle all of these in the short, medium and long term.
