On Wednesday 18th December, Rebecca Smith MP, Member of Parliament for South West Devon, asked the Prime Minister about the closure of a vital Derriford clinic at PMQs. Thousands of people suffering with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) across Devon and Cornwall cannot access treatment due to the closure of Derriford’s Autonomic/General Medicine Clinic.
Rebecca is the only local MP to raise the debilitating health condition in the House, speaking up not only for her constituents but the region, and was offered a meeting with the relevant Minister by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The NHS explains that Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, or PoTS, “is when your heart rate increases very quickly after getting up from sitting or lying down, often making you feel dizzy or lightheaded”, adding that “there’s currently no cure, but it can be managed with changes to your lifestyle, or sometimes treatment with medicines.” 0.2% of the popular are estimated to be affected by PoTS and the vast majority are women.
Anxious constituents informed Rebecca that Derriford’sAutonomic/General Medicine Clinic which treats PoTS patients closed in June 2024 due to its consultant retiring. There aregenuine concerns that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) will pushhealthcare for PoTS onto GPs who do not have the requiredtraining or ability to prescribe the medications needed. Further suggestions that PoTS patients will be referred to a new Long Covid Clinic at Exeter, where patients must suffer from Syncope to gain access, mean that 70% of patients may be without access to any consultant care.
Speaking in front of a packed chamber, Rebecca Smith MP asked the Prime Minister:
“My constituents Caroline and Savannah are just two of thousands across Devon, Cornwall and beyond who are living with postural tachycardia syndrome and have been unable to access adequate treatment since the retirement of the only consultant available to work with them in July.
“What actions can the Prime Minister take to help me secure the treatment that my constituents need, and will he agree to meet me and them to discuss the treatment of POTS in more detail?”
The Prime Minister responded:
“I thank the Honourable Lady for raising this important issue on behalf of her constituents.
“It underlines the critical nature of the NHS workforce plan that we will deliver next summer to ensure that the expert workforce is in place and get the NHS back on its feet. I am proud that we are investing an additional £22.6 billion to fix our NHS.
“I will of course ensure she gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to deal with the issues of concern to her constituents.”
The clinic’s closure was brought to Rebecca’s attention by a constituent suffering with PoTS during a constituency surgery. Constituency surgeries are one-to-one meetings held by Rebecca with constituents in community halls across South West Devon.Rebecca’s PMQ is a powerful example of how MPs are able tochampion constituents’ causes in Westminster, shining a light onissues which escape the media’s attention.
Rebecca was driven into politics to serve the vulnerable, recently stating “I have always had a deep sense that I am in politics, in large part, to speak up for the marginalised and to be a voice for the voiceless.” Rebecca has worked tirelessly since being elected to improve health outcomes in South West Devon, most notably, her campaign to protect funding for Derriford’s new A&E.
Despite making a manifesto commitment to honour Derriford’s new A&E, Labour placed it under review as soon as they were handed the keys to Downing Street, casting the landmark investment into doubt. Rebecca’s petition to protect Derriford’s new A&E from the Chancellor’s axe has received widespread media coverage and piled pressure on the Government to honourits pledge. Her PMQ feeds into this wider campaign to improve healthcare at Derriford.
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