Health workers are all heroes

New hope because of the rollout of a vaccine this winter to protect the most vulnerable against Covid-19. The vaccine offers us a clear exit route from this pandemic. So, in the not-too-distant future, we can finally rebuild our sense of community, re-open our businesses, and reconnect with one another again.

In the coming weeks and months, I will do all I can to encourage the government to roll out the vaccine as quickly as possible. With the infection rate so high in Barking and Dagenham, it is critical that we get all the resources we need to vaccinate everyone who is most at risk of becoming seriously ill.

This horrid virus has done enough damage to our borough, everyone here deserves the peace of mind that the vaccine brings.

Sadly, we do still face difficult challenges. Our local NHS is under extreme pressure and is struggling to cope with the surging number of patients who are becoming seriously ill with Covid-19. Locally, we must all follow the guidelines on social distancing and all stay at home as much as possible. This is the most useful thing we can all do to support our NHS and stop our local hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. I encourage everyone to play their part.

I will of course continue to fight for our local NHS this winter so it can meet these challenges. I am urging the prime minister and the secretary of state for health to provide extra support for health services across Barking and Dagenham, demanding that we receive the extra frontline staff, hospital infrastructure and resources we will inevitably need in the coming months.

The health workers at Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital, and beyond, are all heroes! I am determined to make sure they receive all the extra help they need from government as they go the extra mile to care for our community.

Once again, please stay at home as much as you can, so we can protect our local NHS and keep one another safe while the vaccine is rolled out.