MP Alison Hume column: Scarborough community working together for greater good after surgery flooding

The Labour Government has been working hard to make more appointments available, but that is no comfort to the 10,000 patients of Eastfield Medical Centre.

Senior management from neither SSP Health or North Yorkshire’s Integrated Care Board seem able to sort a satisfactory temporary arrangement after two separate flooding incidents closed the practice.

Local managers and staff are working tirelessly to continue caring for the people they see, but it was clear from the amount of correspondence I was receiving from constituents that I needed to step in and try to help.

I’m not a dab hand at mending broken pipes.

However, I can bring the right people together to try to fix a problem.

Or, in this case, make things a little better until EMC reopens.

After meeting the practice manager, her deputy and a representative of its management company, I held talks with the property’s landlords about the repair process.

I also personally raised EMC with Minister Stephen Kinnock.

Concerned that patients were missing appointments because of the travel distance to temporary treatment sites, he contacted North Yorkshire and Humber ICB demanding a briefing on the situation.

I’ll be holding discussions with the ICB myself and am continuing to liaise with those on the ground at EMC.

Some local businesses have stepped in to bring services back to Eastfield.

I want to personally thank St Catherine’s Hospice, St Cecilia’s, Proudfoot Supermarkets and other local businesses and charities who have helped.

There is still much work to be done.

The situation remains far from ideal.

However, it does show what can happen when a community works together for the greater good.

It has been my honour and privilege to meet so many veterans, cadets and members of our Armed Forces during Remembrance.

We are proud of our former and current service personnel in Scarborough, Whitby and the villages.

We owe them a huge debt of gratitude – one I’m proud the government is repaying with measures such as upgrading military housing, boosting pay and improving access to tailored healthcare.

By investing in world-class, veteran-specific NHS support, we will make sure that the armed forces community gets healthcare that fully understands their needs.