A few weeks ago, I visited the new village hall in Syresham to visit an exhibition of the updated plans for the new Brackley Medical Centre with, among others, Cllr Carol Billingham and developer Christopher Taylor.

Coming after the closure of the much-loved Brackley Cottage Hospital, the new medical centre will be a huge asset for the town and the surrounding villages, restoring much of what was lost when the cottage hospital closed its doors. Incorporating a suite of GP treatment rooms, a wide range of outpatient services including minor injuries and x-ray, a pharmacy, and – very importantly – 16 step-down intermediate care beds to allow people to finish their recovery closer to home and out of hospital.

I will be visiting the construction site in the coming weeks, and I look forward to seeing the progress since I officially broke ground for the new medical centre earlier in the year.

I am also seeking a meeting with the Towcester GPs and South Northants County Council to discuss progress in developing the “Vision for Towcester Healthcare”, and looking at how we can complement services in Brackley. There is money available from s106 agreements for the town to use to enhance medical services, and we had previously been discussing how best to deploy these funds. I look forward to hearing from the GPs as soon as possible, and working together to improve the already very good local healthcare services in Towcester; I will report back in due course.

Finally, I remain committed to ensuring that obstetric maternity services are available where people most need them, and continue to support my colleague Victoria Prentis MP in her push to retain these at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. The cross-county Horton Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee continues to consider the best way forward, with Cllr Adil Sadygov representing the interests of South Northamptonshire.

As ever, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance on the above or any other issue.