MP's lack of interest

lawrie · #1 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 09:04 AM

I have voted Conservative all my life but don't think I will be voting again.

I recently made an appointment to see my GP and was given an appointment for three weeks hence, the only way to get an earlier appointment was to have a GP telephone you, discuss your symptoms and he would decide whether you merited an earlier appointment.

I contacted my Conservative MP asking him to look into why I was going to wait so long to see the GP and he did not want to know.

In view of the labour government stating that everybody should see a doctor within 48 hours you would have thought that he would have looked into and used the information to make capital out of labours statement, or at the very least try and improve the situation for his constituents.

trance · #2 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 10:50 AM

Which MP is that if you dont mind me asking?

lawrie · #3 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 10:31 AM

Damien Green. Although now though after a few words with him he has said he will contact the surgery. He should be speaking to the Primary Care Trust.
I understand that the wait to see a doctor at this surgery is now a month. Doctors salaries have gone up and the service has gone down.

eyes4 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-08-2008, 10:27 PM

Damian Green MP, Ashford (TheyWorkForYou.com)

I believe in shining light on the representatives and making them do what they've been elected to do. He must be busy, but I am glad for lawrie that some action was taken by Green after a little negative publicity.

I'd be interested to hear what Green reports after his inquiry on the subject.

trueblue · #5 (**permalink**) 11-08-2008, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawrie

Damien Green. Although now though after a few words with him he has said he will contact the surgery. He should be speaking to the Primary Care Trust.
I understand that the wait to see a doctor at this surgery is now a month. Doctors salaries have gone up and the service has gone down.

Dealing with doctors and the NHS can be very, very frustrating. I had huge troubles with them when I was quite ill, but not ill enough to be admitted. Long waiting lists combined with trial and error drugs for my symptoms - not the cause, made me feel cast aside.

shruti · #6 (**permalink**) 12-08-2008, 05:58 PM

It is not good to judge all conservative seeing one MP's behavior.

padnar · #7 (**permalink**) 14-08-2008, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trance

Which MP is that if you dont mind me asking?

I will be happy if such people like yu come and stay in India .
Here MP'S think they are Gods and if yu have an important social issue they will not meet you let alone a private issue .
padma

Heslingtonian · #8 (**permalink**) 16-08-2008, 07:19 PM

MPs have several corners to fight, party views, personal views and constituency views, plus lobbying for various other organisations they support.

The constituency system does not work. It does not connect politics with people. Most people have never spoken to their MP and only hear about them at election time. Local councils and MPs are seperated, especially where party control differs from the party of the MP.

Giving more power to local government is the solution to ensuring local issues are dealt with properly.

More collaboration between local government and national government is also necessary, but the 'bottom up' style of government will always work best in the interests of local people, as opposed to 'top down' labour style government.

As for the person who said they won't be voting again, would you change your mind if our voting system changed to proportional representation?

SokeBoy · #9 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by padnar

I will be happy if such people like yu come and stay in India .
Here MP'S think they are Gods and if yu have an important social issue they will not meet you let alone a private issue .
padma

Many MPs think they are gods here as well.

It's not confined to India- believe me!

ChiTheCynic · #10 (**permalink**) 21-08-2008, 05:20 PM

My constituency MP is Simon Hughes (LIB), and he has yet to reply to an e-mail I sent to his constituency office over 5 months ago.

That said, I know of other MPs in other constituencies who are much better at dealing with their constituents. I believe Diane Abbot (LAB) is an excellent constituency MP, from what I hear, as well as Nicholas Soames (CON), Bob Marshall-Andrews (LAB) and others. The trouble is, I think you have to be a backbencher to be able to have the time to deal with constituency complaints.

Hughes spends too much time in Lib Dem party politics to be of any use to his constituents...