This week I turn 40. My kids seem genuinely excited by the idea of a birthday (or put another way, chocolate cake) in the house but I can't say I'm exactly over the moon.
And as if to make the point, I had a letter from my GP saying I was now eligible for an NHS health check.
It was a reminder for me, not just of my own mortality but how, one way or another, we all use (and rely on) local NHS services.
That, of course, includes me and my family; we've actually had two children at Winchester hospital in recent years and care deeply about its future so my priority, here and in Parliament, continues to be health.
I am a passionate supporter of the NHS which is why I back the Prime Minister's determination to increase health spending year-on-year. That means NHS spending will be almost £13 billion higher in 2015 than it was in 2010. But we should be honest, our view of the NHS should be a balance between recognising strengths and the need for improvements to make it a world-class public service for the long-term. The investment from Government, the new local commissioning structure and our new hospital trust, are key to that.
We have huge challenges ahead as the new Foundation Trust across Winchester, Chandler's Ford, Andover & Basingstoke considers how it can provide high quality, safe and sustainable services, possibly including a new acute hospital, working with our own Royal Hampshire County Hospital. Despite spending more time trying to understand the huge complexities of modern acute medicine than anything else in recent years it is still the subject which worries me most.
I remain of the view this will ultimately provide opportunities for us and demand compromise. It will also be controversial which is why it's essential we have the opportunity to be fully informed and have our say about the future of stroke, emergency and especially maternity services, among others.
I think it's vital this process is led by sound, up-to-date, clinical evidence, not rose-coloured views on the NHS of times past and certainly kept well away from unhelpful party politics. The clinicians must win the argument and take us with them - not impose change arbitrarily.
As widely reported in the Hampshire Chronicle, discussions are taking place now which will inform any future, formal, consultation exercise on service change which is why I am conducting a major health survey to start 2014. If one hasn't yet come through your door, please visit www.stevebrine.com/prioritynhs and take part.
Steve Brine MP
