Preet Kaur Gill MP thanks staff for COVID response
Preet Kaur Gill, local labour MP for Edgbaston, visited Birmingham Women’s Hospital last week to thank staff for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meeting first with BWC’s Chief Executive Sarah-Jane Marsh, Preet said it was fantastic to be able to share her gratitude in person for the ‘relentless’ work carried out during the pandemic.
Hearing first about the Trust’s Big Build ambitions for two new hospitals, Preet met with gynaecology and maternity service leads to talk about women’s health, the recently launched baby loss policy and the ongoing stigma around menopause and abortion. With a dramatic increase in the number of domestic abuse cases, Preet was interested to hear about the social support in place for those women as well as the effect of COVID-19 on pregnant, unvaccinated mums-to-be and their babies.
With a children’s services background, Preet is hugely passionate about mental health so was delighted to get the opportunity to meet with the clinical leads from the 0-25 mental health service Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB). Hearing about the challenges and obstacles the team faces, she talked about the need for a mental health system that is sufficiently funded, to meet the growing demand across the city.
Commenting on the visit, Preet said: “It was fantastic to meet with dedicated NHS staff who worked relentlessly and to be able to say thank you to them in person for all that they have done to keep us safe.
"To hear about the vital work undertaken by staff to improve women’s health, to ta
ckle the stigma that still exists around issues like menopause and abortion and the impact which Covid-19 has had on unvaccinated mums-to-be was helpful. We must ensure that more emphasis is placed on supporting women's wellbeing and that it is recognised by the Government.
“I also found great value in being able to discuss the challenges and obstacles that staff are facing when it comes to delivering a fit-for-purpose health service. We need a mental health system that can meet growing demand, that is on parity with physical health practices, and which puts the community at its heart. We continue to see our city’s services having to do more with less and so it is absolutely imperative that any mental health model needs to be implemented from the bottom up with local residents at the very centre.”
Preet last visited Birmingham Women’s Hospital in 2019, shortly before the COVID pandemic began.
Sarah-Jane Marsh, BWC’s Chief Executive, said:
“It’s been a while since we have been able to meet Preet face to face, so it was great to welcome her once again to our Women’s Hospital. Her visit was an opportunity to update her on our Big Build ambitions, the effects of the pandemic on women’s health, our recently launched pregnancy loss policy and the progress Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) continues to make, despite some huge challenges.
“Preet’s passion and vested interest in mental health is invaluable as well as her views on how we tackle the growing mental health crisis here in Birmingham, so we’re looking forward to working with her more closely on this over the coming months.”