Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall - New Year's column 

The last time I made a New Years Resolution was back in 2016. After being stopped in Tesco and being told I had put on too much weight since becoming an MP, I bought a bike and made a resolution to start cycling to work every day. Sadly, this didn’t last long.

In early February, my bike was stolen from the courtyard of the House of Commons. After that calamity, I haven’t made any since. 

However, I’m making a far more important resolution year. This will be the year we secure the money to build a new Health Centre in Thornbury. 
 
The campaign for this elusive new Health Centre, which would benefit Yate, Frampton Cotterell, and towns across South Gloucestershire, has been going on for decades, with little success.

I am just the latest in a long line of politicians who have committed to securing the money Thornbury needs to fund the rebuild of the Health Centre and deliver the health services our community needs. 

However, this year can be different. Our campaign for a new Health Centre has (finally) taken a big step forward.

A couple of months ago, following a debate in Parliament, and the submission of a community petition, £1.3m was awarded by Government to finally move the Health Centre forward. 

I want to be completely upfront, this isn’t the full amount of money we need.

It’s about 10% of it, which will allow the final details of the business case for the Health Centre to be pulled together and submitted to Government. 

So local NHS officials are working away as I write this column, looking at exactly what a new Thornbury Health Centre will deliver, the details of how the site will be reorganised and confirming the timescales for getting builders onto the site. 

When the NHS team have done their work, its back to me. I was pleased to secure 10% of the funding, but that’s not enough. It’s my job to get the other 90%. 

And I am already on the case, and the fight for the rest of the money has already started. I met with the new Secretary of State for Health, Victoria Atkins MP, just before Christmas, to explain how a new Health Centre will enhance outpatient services, mental health support and increase GP capacity, how urgent the situation is, and how important it is to a growing community.

It’s been a long road, but thanks to your support, we are closer to delivering a new Thornbury Heath Centre in Thornbury than ever before. 2024 is the year we can make it happen. 

I don’t normally make resolutions, but here is mine to you: I won’t stop fighting until we have our new health centre.