It’s Library Week in the UK this week and council’s up and down the country are announcing their plans to get more down to their local library. 

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has said that “libraries are needed more than ever and could play a frontline role as we try to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.”

The Liberal Democrat Leader says that Oldham Council bosses have so far been unambitious in their efforts to help people through the current economic situation. 

Councillor Sykes said, “People are really struggling.  If you were just about managing to keep your head above water before all this, you’re now looking at being plunged into poverty because of the damage the Conservative government has done to the economy and their refusal to help anyone who isn’t rich.  So far, the response from our Labour council hasn’t been good enough.  Less than half of their £3million cost-of-living strategy will be spent this year and most of it will be too slow to reach frontline services.” 

“People need strong local services now more than ever and libraries have always been able to serve as community hubs when properly funded.  Liberal Democrats want to see extended opening hours, more resourcing for children to be able to do their homework after school; and investment in library staff and volunteers so that they can run advice services for people who are struggling – just like elsewhere in the country.”

After a Liberal Democrat motion was passed in September, Oldham Council agreed to set up warm spaces around the borough for people to go to this winter, keeping costs down at home in the evenings.  Councillor Sykes said, “Libraries and community spaces need investment if they are going to be able to offer the support that our communities need.  We are calling on the council’s leadership to provide a detailed update, outlining exactly how are libraries will be supported this winter, in this Libraries Week.”

On Tuesday 27^th September the Parish Council’s Planning Committee approved for the new health centre to go ahead with earnest on the former bath site.

Shadow Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett spoke at a parish council planning committee to explain when works will go ahead the size of the site and how big roughly each consultation room will likely be.

Cllr Hamblett said: Because of NHS building regulations and tech has allowed them to be built smartly and taking into account patient uses of GP’s the buildings plan is to be box clever give each of the practices more space than they currently have.  The NHS’s aspiration is to bring together health and care services in a more integrated way.”

“The main priority is to get spades into the ground by March 2023 and as a community we need to get behind this as much as possible.

The submission of a planning application for our new health centre is great news for Shaw and Crompton and further evidence this is happening this time.

Access to modern healthcare facilities is a top priority for the people we represent.

What we’ve had is a long and uncertain journey to this point over many years but by working constructively, local Liberal Democrat councillors, have now helped it get across the line.  We continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the new health centre becomes a reality for residents.

This news is very welcome indeed and is a poke in the eye for those who talk our area down and said it would never happen.”

The planning committee voted unanimously in favour.

Pop along for advice, help or to discuss any issue or matter with your local Liberal Democrat councillors.

Shaw and Crompton Advice Surgeries (no appointment necessary) held on the following Thursdays at Shaw Lifelong Learning Centre – 7:30pm to 8:30pm.

October: 6, 13, 20, 27.

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has warned that social care services “face collapse” across the country after the government’s ‘mini-budget’ scrapped the so-called NHS and social care levy (N.I increase).

The plan was in the first instance the extra cash would go to the NHS and then after that go to social care.  Councillor Sykes predicted at the time not a penny would reach social care and would all be absorbed by the NHS.  He has been proved right and now neither the NHS nor social care will see a penny of it.

Councillor Sykes said, “The government was already underfunding social care and expecting councils to foot the bill.  The Chancellor’s mini budget has just added £13 billion to the shortfall.  Social care urgently needs funding and instead, the government has just hammered funding and passed responsibility onto councils and council taxpayers.”

The cut comes at a time when 600 people each day are joining the list of people waiting to be assessed for care and support in England.  A survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) suggests that almost 300,000 people are now waiting for an assessment of their needs by social workers, an increase of 90,000 (44%) in five months.

Councillor Sykes said, “Social care is in crisis and the government is choosing to leave cash-strapped council taxpayers to plug the gap.”

ADASS Survey

Adass

Liberal Democrats in Oldham have slammed the government for issuing a claim that the number of NHS dentists grew by 500 last year. 

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has hit out at statement from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), reported by the Oldham Times on September 21^st.  The government spokesperson claimed, “The number of dentists practising in the NHS increased by over 500 last year”. 

The statement, which reportedly came via a DHSC representative, appeared to contradict official data released by the department earlier this year, which revealed that the number of NHS dentists had fallen by more than 900 across England. 

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “NHS dentistry is in crisis.  Less than four in ten people in Oldham who need an appointment actually get one, we know that one in five of those waiting for care are resorting to DIY dentistry and now we have the government is telling us in September that the number of dentists is up by 500 when in July they said that they were down by nearly 1,000.  Which is it?” 

“This is really basic stuff.  We expect Health Officials to at least have a handle on the facts.  These dodgy figures are just the latest bluff from a government which is way out of its depth and lurching from crisis to crisis.”

July 2022 – DHSC Data in response to a Parliamentary Question from the Liberal Democrats

Written questions and answers – Written questions, answers and statements – UK Parliament

September 2022

Full data from the House of Commons Library on the number of adults and children seeing an NHS dentist by area is available here.

Original source: NHS Dental Statistics (Annual reports 2017-18 – 2021-22). 

The Political Secretary (Councillor Mark Kenyon) of Oldham Liberal Democrat Opposition Group on Oldham Council has released the following statement.

As a result of Press information, we are aware that a male Oldham Borough Councillor has been arrested by Greater Manchester Police as a result of an allegation of rape of a female and is currently on police bail. 

We can confirm this individual is NOT a Liberal Democrat councillor, and we have received no notification from Oldham Council or any other body as to the person’s identity or any proposed actions in relation to the individual concerned or actions the councillor’s political group have taken or intend to take. 

I have been informed the Council will not complete food and garden collections on their country round today.

The country round being the smaller vehicle they use to collect from all of the harder to reach properties.

Residents are advised to leave their waste containers out for collection as they have crew in tomorrow first thing to go back for collections missed from today.

They have apologised for any inconvenience.