Local communities, as well as those moving into new developments, need to know that they can access the local services they need, when they need them.

That’s why, throughout my time as a local MP, I have consistently made clear (locally and to ministers) my belief that new developments in our rural towns and villages must be sustainable, accompanied by the necessary infrastructure and services required to support both the new development itself and the pre-existing community. Health provision is an integral part of that.

I was therefore delighted to bring together again local councillors and representatives of ATTCARE, Attleborough Town Council, the Attleborough Surgeries, Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust, Norfolk County Council, Breckland Council, Ptarmigan, Homes England and Castlemeadow Care for the latest ATTCARE virtual summit this past Friday – to review progress since our previous meeting in the Autumn and establish what our next actions need to be.

Once again, the conversations were highly positive, with progress in a number of areas since our last gathering – notably on improved bus routes and services throughout the town (including to the Station Road Surgery site). The desire to bring the Attleborough Surgeries together at a single site that has a long term lifespan and would enable GPs and staff to deliver more first class treatment and services was also on the agenda again – and positive discussions on how we might try and reach that end continue.

Having written to the Housing Minister in the Autumn to highlight the need for greater integration of health and social care infrastructure and provision with planning, I was also able to report back on the update provided to me by his office last week – on his department and the Department of Health and Social Care’s ongoing work looking at this very issue.

Once again, a number of further follow-up actions have been agreed and we all remain committed to driving this key work forward. There remains much work to be done but, together, we will continue to do all we can to deliver the short term improvements the town wants to see, as well as the longer term solutions that will ensure Attleborough has the long term health and social care services it requires to sustain the community for decades to come.

To see more about my previous work on this issue, please click here, here and here.