Calling for increased awareness about organ donation

With Organ Donation Week campaigners

This year I am proudly supporting Organ Donation Week and an appeal for more people to talk about organ donation.

Thousands of local people are on the NHS Organ Donor Register but hundreds of lifesaving transplants are being missed around the country every year because families don't know what their relative wanted.

During the week, NHS Blood and Transplant, hospitals, charities, and supporters of organ donation are encouraging people across the UK to talk about organ donation with their relatives and friends.

I'm happy to support this lifesaving appeal and it's really easy for everyone to take part: just have a chat with the people around you.

That chat might be the next time you sit down for a meal, when you are shopping or working, or when you are just driving in the car. If you want to be a donor, your family's agreement is still needed for donation to go ahead, even if you are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Families who agree to donate say it helps with their grief and that they feel enormous sense of pride at knowing their relative gave others the chance of a new beginning, so I would encourage everyone to do what they can to support this appeal.

Pledging my support to breast cancer fundraiser 'wear it pink'

With Sky News present Jacquie Beltrao pledging
our support for 'wear it pink'

I am pleased to again pledge my support to Breast Cancer Now's flagship fundraiser, 'wear it pink,' which will see thousands of people across the UK adding a splash of pink to their outfits on Friday 20 October and raise vital funds for breast cancer research.

Wear it pink takes place during October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and is now in its 16th year. Over this time it has raised £30 million to fund life-saving breast cancer research - but there is always more to do, so I would encourage everyone to sign up and help raise more funds for this worthwhile cause.

Anyone can take part in wear it pink, which brings together schools, workplaces, and communities. All you need to do is wear something pink, or hold a pink event at home, work, or school, and make a donation to Breast Cancer Now. Whatever you do, you're helping the charity achieve its aim that, if we all act now, by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

The fact is, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, and one in eight women will face it in their lifetime. Each year around 11,500 women and 80 men lose their lives to this awful disease.

This is why I'm urging local people to take part in wear it pink in October.

To take part, please visit www.wearitpink.org/2017 for further details, fundraising ideas, and how to register for your free fundraising pack.

Supporting World Cancer Day 2017

I was pleased to attend an event in Parliament to show my support for World Cancer Day 2017, which took place on Saturday 4 February.

I met with representatives from seven of the UK's leading charities who joined forces to unite the nation and help people affected by cancer.

Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer Care, Breast Cancer Now, CLIC Sargent, Anthony Nolan, Bowel Cancer UK, and Marie Curie called for people across the country to show their support by wearing a special Unity Band or making a donation.

Every year World Cancer Day aims to raise awareness of cancer care and support and bring people and charities together to help defeat the disease.

One in two people born in the UK will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime. By wearing a Unity Band and making a donation we can make a real difference and transform millions of lives.

Backing calls to lower the bowel cancer screening age

I attended a reception hosted by the charity Beating Bowel Cancer to hear the case for reducing the bower cancer screening age.

Variations in the screening age across the UK could be leading to thousands of bowel cancer patients in their 50s having a delayed diagnosis.

Beating Bowel Cancer is calling for the screening age in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to be lowered from the age of 60 to 50, to bring it in line with the screening age in Scotland.

I was interested to hear Beating Bowel Cancer's plans for the future of screening and pledged my support for them.

We all need to do our bit to support any improvements to early diagnosis rates if we are to stop bowel cancer being one of the biggest cancer killers in the country.

Being diagnosed with bowel cancer at the earliest stage offers a 97% survival rate. But without screening, the majority of patients between 50 and 59 might not be diagnosed until a later stage through their GP or A&E. At that point the cancer can be more difficult to treat and if diagnosed at a late state their survival odds could be as low as 7%.

To find out more about bowel cancer please visit the charity's website www.beatingbowelcancer.org or call their Nurse Helpline on 020 8973 0011.

NHS England moves to protect services at East Tilbury and Corringham Medical Centres

I welcome the news that NHS England has paused its process to close the medical centres at East Tilbury and Corringham and will instead review the decision.

NHS England had previously informed patients as to its decision to close the practices in East Tilbury and Corringham from 30 November, however it has now decided to pause and review the process and has apologised to patients for any distressed caused.

NHS England has secured an agreement with GP provider College Health Ltd so there will be no disruption to patients and their access to these primary care services.

I intervened last week and requested that further time be given to review the decision after listening to the concerns of many patients who rely upon these importance services.

I am glad that NHS England has listened and has also committed to further discussions with patients. I now look forward to a better solution being proposed for all involved parties.

Celebrating 12 years of Parkrun

I was recently pleased to visit Basildon Parkrun as part of the global Parkrun movement's 12th anniversary.

Speaking to Parkrunners in Basildon

During the last 12 years the Parkrun movement has grown from strength to strength and Basildon Parkrun is one of more than 900 Parkruns that take place every weekend around the world.

Every Parkrun is coordinated entirely by volunteers from the local community and open to anyone who wants to take part. They are free, weekly, timed events, consisting of a 5km course for adults and 2km for juniors, and they are accessible to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities.


Parkrun's mission is to encourage more people to take part in regular physical activity and volunteering, and to make the world a happier and healthier place.


Basildon Parkrun started nearly three years ago and is now attracting over 100 runners per week.


Its attraction is clear for all to see, which is why Basildon has registered runners starting from age four going up to 80 years young - encouraging all abilities, from walking to running.


It is a great way to get healthy and make new friends and it is also fantastic to see our public spaces used in such a positive way.


Everyone involved in making Basildon Parkrun happen deserves a big thank you, from the volunteers to the participants and of course the team at the Parkrun movement HQ who help to support our local groups.

Stephen Metcalfe MP welcomes Budget for the next generation

Stephen Metcalfe, Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock, welcomed the Conservative government's recent Budget.

The Budget includes measures to help younger generations, by introducing a new Lifetime ISA for under-40s, improving schools with fairer funding, and putting a new sugar levy on the soft drinks industry to help tackle childhood obesity.

Mr Metcalfe said: "I was pleased to see that younger generations will benefit most from this Budget.

"It is important to encourage a saving culture among young people and the Lifetime ISA will help towards that all-important first home and saving for retirement.

"The introduction of a fair National Funding Formula for schools will help ensure that 90 per cent of schools benefit from much-needed funds by 2020, including our local schools which I am always keen to see supported.

"This commitment to fairer funding for schools is also a commitment to improving life chances for local children, making sure that they can compete in an ever more competitive world."

He added: "The sugar tax is a bold and important move towards tackling childhood obesity.

"It was good to hear that this new levy on the soft drinks industry will help reduce the sugar content of their products and that the money raised from it will be used to double sports funding in primary schools, encouraging healthier lifestyle habits from an early age."

He finished: "Taken as a whole, the Budget demonstrates that Conservatives are putting the next generation first and ensuring that Britain is fit for the future."