Paisley Daily Express Column

Paisley Daily Express Column - 19th Aug 2009

SUPPORTING THE NHS JOHN SMITH FOUGHT FOR ALL HIS LIFE

It’s been a week when our NHS has both been in the headlines and in my thoughts. This past week the papers have been filled with headlines about the British NHS.

In the United States, President Obama has been trying to win support for a new healthcare system to deal with the fact that 40 million Americans are today without health insurance. That means they can’t access the lifesaving treatments and medicines many of them need and it also means that in America the chances are, if you lose your job, you also lose your access to healthcare.

Yet what really captured the headlines were the Tories who took to the American airwaves…to attack the British NHS.

Two different experiences in the last week brought home the significance of this debate for me. Firstly on Sunday, I was at Iona Abbey…the resting place of the late great John Smith. In years past I remember meeting John himself on the jetty at Iona, and being there last week reminded me just how hard the former Labour leader fought all his life for a National Health Service true to the principles of Aneurin Bevan…a system of treatment based on clinical need and not the ability to pay.

Back home in Renfrewshire, earlier this week, a routine visit to my GP reminded me just how much we have to be thankful for here in Britain. This summer like many local families we’ve had reason to use our local NHS – both the local GP’s surgery and the RAH. Of course the service faces concerning and real challenges – from hospital acquired infections to swine flu.

Yet over the past decade, locally and nationally, we have seen real improvements.

So let the Americans have their debate in Pittsburg and Preoria. Here in Paisley I’ll continue to work to support our NHS – a service and an ideal which John Smith spent his whole life fighting to protect and promote.

PAISLEY'S THE PLACE FOR PART TIME LEARNING

As local schools return this week and people’s thoughts turn to the months ahead, I’m keen to ensure people here in Renfrewshire are aware of the opportunities that exist for flexible part time courses here in Paisley.

I know that for many people work, family commitments and financial pressures mean that full-time higher education simply isn’t a practical option.

That’s why I applaud the university of the West of Scotland’s efforts to offer a wide range of part-time courses at flexible times so anyone who is keen to learn can fit classes in at the weekend, during the day or in the evenings depending on your schedule.

There is something for everyone on offer at UWS from IT courses to social sciences!

Any of us with a concern for the local community knows that Reid Kerr College has been transformed in recent years, not simply its Renfrew Road campus but its extended campus of classes provided in community centres, schools and local facilities across Renfrewshire, has expanded to meet new demand.

Reid Kerr College is now offering a wide range of part-time courses in subjects ranging from business to photography and theatre.

We all know that today getting a qualification can open up a whole new world of opportunity.

Taking part in a part-time course of study can improve your work prospects and increase your earning potential as well as giving an opportunity to broaden your mind and meet like-minded, interesting people.

So for more information on the part-time courses on offer look up www.reidkerr.ac.uk