Constituency issues
20 Sept 2005
Filing it away
The longer I do this job the more I am struck by how like a GP’s it is. Both doctors and MP’s are expected to know a bit about everything and everyone. People turn to them in times of trouble and turn on them when things go wrong.
MPs also hold surgeries. Some of them operate appointment systems and others work on a first come, first served basis. But all accumulate huge amounts of information on the patients or constituents they serve.
That is why the walls of my constituency office in Popple Way are lined with grey metal cabinets stuffed full of files. Once or twice a year we pull out all the inactive cases of over three years old. Then we scan their contents onto an electronic filing system and shred the paperwork. This is a very time and labour consuming task. But, if we did not do it, both I, and my caseworkers, would have been forced out of the office years ago by the inexorably multiplication of grey metal filing cabinets.
Caseload
These cabinets have held the details of the just under 14,000 cases I have dealt with over the past eight years. Some of these are trivial, but most are life changing and a few are even life threatening. All are interesting. Personally, I find case work the most rewarding part of my job. The only problem is that the more you do the more you get. But each one teaches me something about human nature and human resilience.
They have also highlighted the inadequacy of our education system. Why do we not do more to school people in the management of their lives, careers and relationships? What good is it teaching people about history if they are completely baffled by aspects of the present?
Girls and women are particularly affected by this lack of day to day information. Their lives get thrown into turmoil because they cannot understand a bank statement, read a rent book, or deal with officialdom. So they leave it and what starts out as a simple problem escalates with neglect. Eventually they land up in their doctor’s surgery with palpitations and headaches and in their MP’s surgery with a supermarket carrier bag full of miscellaneous bits of paper.
As my mother used to say “a stitch in time saves nine”. Most of the people I see would not be suffering so much if they had obeyed this old wives’ dictum.
Self-Help
I do blame the system. That is why I am doing what I can to change it. But this will take time. So, in the meantime, here are some hints for those eager to avoid getting caught in the bureaucratic paperchase.
First and foremost, keep important papers. You do not need grey metal cabinets lining your living room walls to do this. An A4 concertina file is quite adequate.
Secondly, keep important numbers. Like your National Health Service, National Insurance, your driving licence and your passport. Put them all in a small, fireproof cash box as well as on your computer or in a notebook.
Thirdly, deal with financial problems early. Go to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau for help as soon as you can if you lose your job, find yourself in debt or fall ill. They can give you expert advice on re-scheduling debts, paying off mortgages, claiming benefits and budgeting.
Finally, make a will. Even if you think you have nothing to leave. You would be surprised at the problems dying without one can cause. These, combined with the loss of a loved one, can turn an already deeply painful situation into a traumatic one.
What can I do about it?
Sadly, there are times when MPs and GPs cannot help. There are also times when what they can do is limited by professional practice or the law. For example, no MP can act on behalf of someone who is not his or her constituent. So, when you do get in touch with one please include your post code. If you are not sure who your MP is you can always find out at the local library or by going on line at
www.locata.co.uk/commons.
No MP can intervene in an ongoing, private legal dispute. However, they can, and should, make sure that their constituents get the very best possible service from government run and funded agencies. They should also help their constituents to hold these agencies to account when they have failed them.
All MPs have a duty to help their constituents whatever their political affiliations may be. It does not matter to me how you voted, or intend to vote in the future. MPs are there to serve and to guide their constituents through complex legislation; unresponsive government departments or uncomprehending bureaucracies.
Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we fail. But we should all try.
Barbara Follett MP
