Steve Brine joined Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt as they visited Winchester and Fareham on Friday 12th February.
The first port of call was a private visit to Naomi House & Jacksplace, in Sutton Scotney, where they were shown around the region's hospices for children and young adults.
Naomi House & Jacksplace cares for life-limited and life-threatened children, young people and their families from across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire, West Sussex, Surrey and the Isle of Wight. They met with families that rely on the charity's services and the care staff that care for the region's life-limited and life-threatened children and young adults.
After spending time on the charity's care floor, they met with Naomi House & Jacksplace Chairman, David Holmes CBE and Chief Executive, Mark Smith.
Mark Smith took the opportunity to discuss a number of challenges that Naomi House & Jacksplace faces, in particular the need for central Government to encourage public bodies with responsibility for health and social care budgets to work together when handling funding decisions.
Mark commented: "Naomi House & Jacksplace is a charity that delivers essential services and has a clear vision for the future, and being able to discuss our plans with the Secretary for Health - as well as request his assistance in overcoming some obstacles that could otherwise hold us back - was certainly beneficial."
Moving on from Sutton Scotney, they had a working lunch at Friarsgate in Weeke, as they discussed GP services with the team, before they travelled down the M27 to visit Fareham Community Hospital.
To round off the day, Steve was delighted to be able to join Pamela Healy at Wessex Haven, based in Titchfield. Wessex Haven offers comprehensive support to women with breast cancer, and Mr Brine was key to the Haven coming to Hampshire, having encountered the charity as part of his work in the last Parliament on the All Party Group for Breast Cancer.
The Haven recently received excellent news when the Chancellor, in his Autumn Statement, announced that £2.65m would be given to the charity to help with its running costs.
Speaking after the Haven visit, Jeremy Hunt said: "Steve did so much to keep breast cancer on the Government's agenda in the last Parliament and has told me a great deal about this charity and the work they do. I was very impressed with the new 'Wessex' facility and wish it well."
Steve Brine said: "This was such a useful day, and I know that all the venues that kindly hosted us were delighted the Health Secretary could be here. These were all private visits just to meet some key people I wanted to introduce to the Secretary of State and I know he got a lot from them. Clearly we discussed a wide variety of issues throughout our day, and I am extremely grateful that we were able to spend this time meeting face to face."
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