Patrick Hurley MP promises to be a champion for heart patients in Parliament

TRICK Hurley, MP for Southport, met with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to discuss the urgent need to address the UK's heart care crisis.

Over the past 6 decades, the UK has made huge strides in improving outcomes for people living with heart and circulatory diseases. However, this progress is now at risk.

Tragically, recent BHF analysis has shown that the rate of premature deaths from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK has risen to a 10-year high, after half a century of progress.

Patrick Hurley MP heard that the BHF are calling on the new Government to make heart disease a key priority and are urging all MPs to be champions for heart patients. The charity is calling for a Heart Disease Action Plan that includes action on three fronts to stop this crisis in its tracks as part of its Hearts Need More campaign: 

• Protection: better prevention of heart disease and stroke by addressing drivers like obesity, smoking and air pollution;  

• Focus: prioritisation of NHS heart care to minimise the time it takes for people to get help;  

• Breakthroughs: supercharging research to unlock future treatments and cures.  

At the end of July 2024, the waiting list for time-critical heart care reached 427,154 in England alone. The cardiac waiting list for Cheshire & Merseyside ICS was 21,200 in the same month. We also know that waiting lists for cardiac care in Wales, and for cardiology appointments in Scotland, are the highest on record.

The Hearts Need More campaign has also highlighted that up to 11,000 early deaths a year from heart and circulatory diseases could be avoided by 2035 in England with the help of a Heart Disease Action Plan, according to analysis by the BHF.

Heart care can't wait. Delays to vital tests and treatment put heart patients in danger of avoidable disability or even premature death. And with millions of people living with an elevated risk of heart attack or stroke, we risk further pressure on our already overstretched health service.

Over 44,000 people have so far backed the campaign to fix the heart care crisis.

During the party conference, Patrick Hurley MP met with the BHF to discuss the bold and co-ordinated action needed to save more lives from heart attacks and strokes, which could ultimately save the UK economy billions. 

Patrick Hurley MP for Southport said:- "I'm pleased to join the BHF in drawing attention to the critical need to address the continuing crisis in heart care. It's deeply concerning that there have been more early deaths than expected involving heart disease and stroke, and we must do more to prevent a rising tide of these deadly conditions."

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the BHF, said:- "We are in the grip of an unprecedented heart care crisis. People with heart conditions across the UK face devastatingly long and stressful waits for care that takes its toll on families and costs lives. We've already lost a decade of progress and are paying the price with people's hearts and lives. With a new Parliament in place, there's no better time for all political parties to make a commitment to bold and co-ordinated action. We urgently need a comprehensive Heart Disease Action Plan to show us to way to a brighter and healthier future." 

Council sets out parking plan for Everton's new Stadium

LIVERPOOL City Council is looking to create a:- 'Football Match Parking Zone' around Everton Football Club's new Stadium, at Bramley Moore Dock, Liverpool.

A report to the Council's Cabinet next:- Tuesday, 8 October is recommending a raft of new measures surrounding the 52,888 seater Stadium, similar to what is in place around Goodison Park and Anfield.

The focus of the proposed parking zone covers the area within a 30 minute walk of Everton Stadium, which will encompass the surrounding 10 Streets district and into the City Centre.

A series of recommendations, which have been subject to a public consultation, includes:-

• New resident parking areas.
  

• New taxi rank.
  

• New match day bus stands.
  

• New parking restrictions.
  

• New hours of operation for existing parking zones for the Great Homer Street area.
  

• New hours of operation for existing parking zones for the 10 Streets and Love Lane areas.
  

• New industrial parking zone south of Boundary Street.
  

• New industrial parking zone North of Boundary Street.

The overall aim of the new Parking Zone is to reduce congestion, improve air quality, safety and journey times to and from the Stadium. The proposals have also been designed to complement the planned modernisation of parking across the City Centre.

If approved by Cabinet, the Council's Highways and Transportation team will begin the process of installing new signage towards the end of the year. Residents and surrounding businesses will also be invited to apply for the relevant parking permits.

Scheduled to open for the 2025/26 season, the Everton Stadium will be subject to a number of test events at the start of next year.

Already selected as a venue for the UEFA European Championships in 2028 the new venue, which is serviced by the City's historic:- "Dock Road", will also be capable of hosting major non-footballing events.

Liverpool City Council has invested more than £20m in the highways infrastructure around Bramley-Moore Dock, including:- a permanent segregated cycle lane running from the City Centre up to Liverpool's Northern border at Bootle in Sefton, which passes right in front of the new Stadium.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is also working with Merseyrail, Network Rail and Everton FC on the development of a new crowd management zone and an additional entrance at Sandhills Station. The aim is to primarily support fans and event goers accessing public transport on their way to and from the new Stadium, with works on the 1st phase due to start on site imminently.

Councillor Dan Barrington, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said:- "Everton Stadium is going to be transformational especially for the surrounding 10 Streets district and the wider Kirkdale community. As well as the economic benefit, the vast volume of people the Stadium will attract; and how they arrive and depart; needs to be carefully managed. The North Docks area has never had to cope with such large numbers of people in such concentrated time periods, but fortunately the City has the experience and knowledge thanks to Goodison Park and Anfield. By creating this new match day parking zone, we'll be looking to adopt and incorporate those controls which so effectively move tens of thousands on a weekly basis. Bramley-Moore Dock is also a unique location given its very close proximity to the City Centre and the fact the surrounding transport infrastructure is well developed. There's more to be done but all the partners are talking to make those improvements. We'll also be looking to encourage as many active travel options as possible for those attending the games or other events there, which is a win-win for everyone in terms of managing congestion and air quality and promoting healthy habits. There's lots of residents and businesses, as well as Everton fans, who will be affected by these proposals and thanks to their feedback we've been able to formulate a plan which aims to accommodate their needs."

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