Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Money)

Brian Mathew Excerpts

Money resolution
Wednesday 22nd January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Brian Mathew (Melksham and Devizes) (LD)]

Let me start by saying that I am in in favour of the motion, so I will vote for it, if it comes to that. However, would the hon. Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater) and the Minister consider the inclusion of two social workers on the group, made up of two GPs and a High Court judge, that assesses requests for assisted dying?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Order. Your contribution has to be within the scope of what we are discussing, which is the financial organisation of the Bill.

[Brian Mathew]

I was making a point about the added expense.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

You need to get to that point very quickly.

[Brian Mathew]

There would be added expense. Social workers are trained in understanding family dynamics, and need desperately to be involved in these situations.

[Kim Leadbeater]

I take that point on board. I had a very productive meeting with the Association of Palliative Care Social Workers yesterday, and we had a useful conversation on that issue.

[Brian Mathew]

I thank the hon. Lady.

Hospice and Palliative Care

Brian Mathew Excerpts

Monday 13th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Brian Mathew (Melksham and Devizes) (LD)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Mr Kohler) for bringing forward this important debate, and all hon. Members for speaking with such compassion.

Although the £100 million for hospice capital projects is to be welcomed, it is cash that is most needed. Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in my constituency that has already been mentioned, will find itself out of pocket by £242,000 per year because of the rise in national insurance. Dorothy House hospice, which is also in my constituency, will lose even more. That is a lot of sponsored walks and parachute jumps—perhaps too many—if the hospices are to avoid cutting their services. I urge the Minister to think again, and to provide the funds that our hospices need.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

NHS Dentistry: Rural Areas

Brian Mathew Excerpts

Tuesday 5th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Gibson]

I do agree with my hon. Friend, and I will mention that point later in my speech. It is no surprise to me that children in her constituency are having similar problems to children in my constituency.

According to NHS England, only 33% of adults under the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire integrated care board have seen a dentist in the past two years. According to a freedom of information request by the British Dental Association, my local ICB’s projected dentistry underspend equates to £4.6 million.

When Hathaway closed its door to NHS patients last Friday, this was a major blow to my constituents.

[Brian Mathew (Melksham and Devizes) (LD)]

Some of my constituents in Melksham and Devizes, who until recently have had an NHS dentist in Chippenham, now find that the service has been stripped away from them. They now have to pay a monthly fee, which totals up to more than £150 a year at a minimum. Does my hon. Friend agree that that and the state of children’s dentistry are becoming a source of national shame? Urgent funding is needed now to revive vital services and to ensure that the oral health of the nation’s children and adults is protected.

[Sarah Gibson]

I agree with my hon. Friend; that speaks to the fact that we are being left with a dental desert, with no sign of relief.