Based on my own experiences I now think national Government policy should be directed from South Somerset. Our attitude continues to be so positive and straightforward and I very much enjoyed my time in the constituency last weekend. People are doing their best and finding new ways to do business, sticking to the Government guidelines and thankfully our rates of coronavirus remain low.
Thank you to the excellent management team of our hospital for showing me round the new staff accommodation they are building. I have to say, these are smart places to live and I would think would be a big consideration for healthcare professionals thinking of working at the hospital particularly at the start of their careers. Our hospital continues to show real initiative, ambition and caring for its own staff as well as others.
I was also so impressed with Yeovil Creatives who have great ideas to brighten up our town centre which I will try to help them take forward. They have done some brilliant artwork with local children in their workshops and also give local artists a place to showcase and sell their work. You can find out more about the group online at https://yeovilcreatives.uk/ and membership is currently free to support people at this time.
What a pleasure It was also meeting Liz Templar who is a community champion for Morrisons. Liz is doing amazing work coordinating support for families in need because of the pandemic. A particularly thoughtful touch is that she is arranging for flowers from Morrisons to be delivered to nursing homes at a time when they don’t get so many due to fewer visitors. Little things like this make a huge difference and I know that Liz is not alone with these everyday acts of kindness. You can read more about the Morrisons Foundation and their work with St Margarets at https://www.st-margarets-hospice.org.uk/morrisons-working-together
Please do remember that we still need to carry on with the simple things that can help make sure we in Somerset stay a low risk area. Lots of hand washing and keeping our distance from others is still really important, as are the other national guidelines. I am trying to get a relaxation of the 10pm closing time for pubs and restaurants here as I remain sceptical about how effective that is and I know how great the impact is on restaurants in particular who depend on being able to offer two sittings an evening.
It was good earlier in the week to hear Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam speak out against the idea of a national lockdown. At a Government press conference he added, "the distribution of the virus is very uneven compared with March and April" making reference to the South West as an area where it would be inappropriate. Let’s all take care though and be sensible to make sure it stays that way. As always, if I can be of any help please do email me at marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk or call 01935314321.