MP Newsletter #36: HCRG, Heatwave, Ten years on from Brexit, and more

A warm welcome to my latest newsletter, and it’s certainly been warm this week!

While Parliament has remained busy over the past fortnight, I've also been out and about across our constituency - meeting businesses, visiting schools, holding my latest round of public Q&A sessions and continuing to press the issues that matter most to people here in our constituency.

As ever, whether I'm in Westminster or Wiltshire, my focus remains the same: standing up for our communities, improving local public services and making sure the voices of residents are heard where decisions are made.

There's plenty to update you on, so let's get started.

📌 In this edition

• 🏥 Challenging HCRG Care Group over local NHS services
• 🌡️ The recent heatwave and why climate action matters
• 🍺 Backing our rural pubs in Parliament
• 🦷 Tackling the NHS dentistry crisis
• 🏫 Inspiring conversations at Christchurch School
• 🚤 Visiting world-leading business Leafield Marine
• 🏛️ Westminster chaos continues
• 💬 Thank you to everyone who attended my Q&A sessions
• 🇸🇩 Speaking out over Sudan and the UK's response
• 🇬🇧 Ten years on from Brexit

🏥 Holding HCRG Care Group to Account

My inbox has recently been flooded with issues people are facing with HCRG Care Group. This is following my letter to them outlining the serious concerns I have about their delivery of NHS services in Wiltshire. 

Last year, HCRG was awarded a seven-year contract to provide many of Wiltshire's community NHS services. They are responsible for a huge range of care that many residents rely upon every day, including district nursing, physiotherapy, podiatry, health visiting, wheelchair services and much more. Their staff work throughout our communities, including at Melksham Hospital, Devizes Health Centre and in people's own homes.

Since changes were introduced to their telephone and referral systems, my office has received dozens of emails and letters from patients and staff, alongside hundreds of comments on social media, describing long waits on the phone, unanswered calls, growing referral backlogs and increasing pressure on frontline staff.

These are not isolated complaints. They point to systemic issues that need addressing urgently.

Last week, I met HCRG's Regional Director to raise these concerns directly. I challenged the organisation on lengthy waiting times, poor communication with patients, staff shortages, clinician workloads and the impact all of this is having on patient care.

The Director accepted that performance is currently not where it needs to be and outlined a 100-day improvement plan. While that acknowledgement is welcome, residents deserve to see real improvements rather than simply hear promises.

I will continue monitoring progress closely and expect tangible improvements before our next meeting later this year. Local people deserve community healthcare services that are accessible, responsive and worthy of the dedicated NHS staff working within them.

🌡️ The Heatwave - Another Reminder That Climate Change Is Here

Like many of you, I have found the recent spell of hot weather incredibly challenging.

While warm summer days are something many of us enjoy, prolonged periods of extreme heat are becoming increasingly common. They place pressure on our NHS, affect vulnerable residents, damage crops, increase wildfire risks and put additional strain on our infrastructure.

For me, this latest heatwave is another reminder that climate change is no longer a distant problem for future generations. It is happening now, here in Wiltshire. 

That doesn't mean we should feel powerless. From improving home insulation and investing in renewable energy to restoring nature and protecting our rivers, there is much we can do locally and nationally to reduce emissions while making our communities more resilient to increasingly extreme weather.

Whether it's flooding during winter or extreme heat across the county in summer, we are seeing more examples of the changing climate affecting everyday life. We owe it to future generations to take practical action now.

I have spent many evenings this summer at local viewings of the National Emergency Briefing, and the film has really resonated given our current weather.

The briefing brings together leading experts to examine the growing risks posed by climate and nature breakdown, including impacts on food security, public health, infrastructure and national resilience while also exploring the positive action that can still be taken to respond effectively.

There is a petition to urge the government to hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks. You can sign it here - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687 

I’m thrilled to see the Melksham & Devizes constituency as one of the leading areas for signing this petition so far.

🍺 Standing Up for Our Rural Pubs

Few institutions are as important to rural communities as the local pub.

They are far more than places to enjoy a drink. They provide employment, support local suppliers, host community groups and often act as one of the last remaining social spaces in many villages.

That is why I recently spoke in Parliament about the financial pressures facing pubs across Wiltshire and the wider country.

The current tax burden facing many pubs is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Rising costs have already forced too many landlords to make impossible decisions, from reducing opening hours to cutting staff or, in some cases, closing altogether.

When pubs struggle, local jobs disappear too. Young people lose valuable employment opportunities and villages lose an important part of their community life.

Supporting rural pubs isn't simply about protecting tradition; it's about protecting jobs, local economies and the social hubs of our communities.

🦷 Fixing Britain's Dental Desert

Access to NHS dentistry remains one of the biggest healthcare challenges facing families across Wiltshire.

I recently spoke in Parliament highlighting the scale of the problem

Nearly half of Wiltshire's children were not seen by an NHS dentist last year. That is simply unacceptable.

The consequences are clear. More children requiring hospital treatment for preventable tooth decay, serious conditions going undiagnosed and families travelling huge distances simply to find an NHS appointment.

We urgently need more dentists delivering NHS care.

One practical solution would be enabling qualified dentists who have fled Ukraine and now live in Britain to practise more quickly, helping tackle workforce shortages while making full use of their professional skills.

Everyone deserves timely access to an NHS dentist, regardless of where they live.

🏫 Fantastic Questions at Christchurch School

It was a real pleasure recently to visit Christchurch School in Bradford on Avon and spend time with pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6.

Their curiosity, confidence and thoughtful questions were genuinely impressive.

We discussed everything from how MPs vote and how I divide my time between Westminster and Wiltshire through to local issues such as flooding, housing, cycling, tree planting and future development in Bradford on Avon.

I also had the opportunity to meet the school's Eco Council.

It was inspiring to hear young people speaking so passionately about protecting the environment and sharing their own ideas for improving both Bradford on Avon and the country more widely. They clearly care deeply about the future they will inherit.

The pride the pupils showed in their school shone through during the entire visit and they were a real credit to their teachers, parents and the wider community.

🚤 Celebrating Local Innovation at Leafield Marine

One of the greatest privileges of being your MP is discovering the remarkable businesses quietly succeeding right here in our constituency.

Last week I visited Leafield Marine in Atworth.

Many people may never have heard of the company, yet they are world leaders in inflatable safety technology, producing life-saving equipment used on commercial vessels and cruise ships across the globe.

It was fascinating to learn more about their work and hear about their ambitions to continue growing and investing locally.

Many of their highly skilled workforce come from Atworth itself and nearby Melksham, demonstrating that world-class manufacturing and engineering continues to thrive here in Wiltshire.

Businesses like Leafield Marine show exactly why supporting local employers remains so important. They provide skilled jobs, invest in our communities and quietly put our area on the international stage.

🏛️ Westminster Needs Less Drama and More Delivery

It can sometimes feel impossible to keep up with politics in Westminster.

No sooner does one leadership row seem to settle than another begins. Briefings, speculation and endless political drama dominate the headlines while many of the issues affecting families here in Wiltshire receive far less attention than they deserve.

Whenever I speak to residents across our constituency, very few want to discuss Westminster gossip.

Instead, they talk about healthcare, the cost of living, local transport, farming, SEND provision and how we create stronger communities.

Many people understandably feel disappointed that the change they were promised nationally has yet to materialise. Rural communities continue to feel overlooked while businesses face increasing pressures and investment into areas like ours remains limited.

Politics works best when it focuses on solving problems rather than creating headlines. That is where I will continue to focus my energy.

💬 Q&A Sessions

Over the past few weeks I've completed another round of public Q&A sessions in Melksham, Devizes and Bradford on Avon.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along.

The conversations covered a huge range of topics, from local healthcare and transport through to international affairs, planning, farming and the environment.

These session are a vital opportunity to have open and honest conversations about whatever matters most to local people.

I've come away with plenty of food for thought and several issues to follow up over the coming weeks.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend.

🇸🇩 Hearing Harrowing Evidence on Sudan

One of the most difficult meetings I have attended recently was a session of the International Development Committee examining the devastating conflict in Sudan.

We heard deeply disturbing testimony from human rights investigators describing widespread atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence and forced displacement.

Perhaps most concerning were allegations that warnings about the scale of these atrocities were not taken seriously enough, with questions raised over whether the UK’s wider diplomatic relationships were allowed to overshadow the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding on the ground.

Having spent part of my own career working in international development, Sudan is an issue that remains incredibly close to my heart.

The international community cannot simply look away while millions face unimaginable suffering. 

The UK must continue to stand up for international law, support humanitarian assistance and work with partners to bring those responsible for atrocities to justice.

🇬🇧 Ten Years After Brexit

This year marks a decade since the referendum that fundamentally changed Britain's relationship with Europe.

Whatever side people took in that debate, I believe most would agree that it is time to move beyond the arguments of 2016 and have an honest conversation about where the country goes next.

The evidence is increasingly clear that Brexit has created additional barriers to trade, made exporting more difficult for many businesses and left the UK economy weaker than it otherwise could have been.

I support my party’s call for a new UK-EU customs union as a practical step towards reducing unnecessary barriers for businesses while respecting the outcome of the referendum.

Rather than endlessly refighting old battles, we should focus on what arrangements best support jobs, investment and economic growth in the years ahead.

📬 Staying in Touch

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my latest update.

Whether you have a local issue you'd like my help with, or simply wish to share your views on an issue, please do get in touch.

Email: brian.mathew.mp@parliament.uk

Telephone: 01225 434216

You can also follow my work in Parliament, including my speeches, written questions, voting record and committee work, by visiting my official Parliamentary webpage here - https://members.parliament.uk/member/5214/contact

Best wishes,

Brian Mathew MP

Liberal Democrat MP for Melksham & Devizes