Mark Francois MP pictured outside Phoenix House in Basildon with Chief Officer, Tom Abell following his recent visit to the new Brentwood and Basildon Clinical Commissioning Group.
Mark takes an active interest in the healthcare requirements of his constituents and holds regular meetings with local NHS bosses to monitor the performance of the NHS at local level in South and Mid Essex.
Mark's constituents in Rochford District tend to look towards Southend Hospital when they require hospital treatment, whereas his constituents living in and around Wickford tend to look towards Basildon Hospital. Mark takes an active interest in the management of both hospitals and he has visited them both on several occasions.
Basildon Hospital in particular has faced a number of serious challenges over the past few years and Mark has held meetings with the Trust management, led by Chief Executive Clare Panniker, to discuss how services can be improved.
Mark has visited a number of GP practices in his constituency and he was actively involved in lobbying NHS South East Essex (formerly the South East Essex Primary Care Trust) to save two GP surgeries in Hawkwell and to also help achieve the expansion of the Audley Mills surgery in Rayleigh.
Following the recent changes in the organisation of the NHS at local level, Mark has visited both of the new, GP led, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which are designed to commission services on behalf of patients. Mark's constituency is covered by both the Castle Point and Rochford CCG and the Basildon and Brentwood CCG (the latter of which covers Wickford). Mark has met with leaders of both CCGs to discuss how they can best meet the needs of his constituents.
