While it is commendable our MP James Cleverly is talking to health bosses (Gazette, Page 3, "MP in talks with surgery bosses") he actually told us everything we already knew.

I would agree the walk-in surgery is a great local success and the changes in respect of having more nurse practitioners and paramedics is an improvement but let's first look at the facts.

The readership of the Gazette is broader than Halstead; it is read by residents from Halstead and the surrounding villages and hamlets, such as the Hedinghams.

For years I have been lobbying Braintree Council for a new doctor's surgery in the Hedinghams and I now understand a planning application will be submitted in August this year and this should indeed offer an enhanced service to residents.

Turning to the Elizabeth Courtauld Surgery, the response from our MP is simply not good enough.

Without a Local Plan in place and speculative developers putting forward further planning applications to build more homes (in addition to the 1,000 homes already in the pipeline) the Elizabeth Courtauld Surgery will not cope with the increased demand.

Across the Braintree constituency we are seeing an increased demand in the number of patients per GP.

New investment in health services from Westminster is welcome but in the Braintree constituency additional local health services are required to meet the growing demand now and in the future.

What I believe we would expect to hear from our MP is he is fighting, on our behalf, to enhance our health services by bringing more money into the Braintree constituency to provide health services to meet our growing demand and working to ensure the new GPs stay in the Braintree constituency.

People are living longer with long term conditions.

Although I believe residents of the Braintree district understand we need to live well and take some personal responsibly for our health, there is only so much that we can do.

Jo Beavis

County councillor for Halstead division and district councillor for the Hedinghams