You would be forgiven for not knowing - or caring - how the NHS is organised behind the scenes. For most people, what matters is far simpler: can they see a GP when they need to, can they find an NHS dentist, how long do they wait for treatment, and is the care they receive safe and compassionate? That is exactly how it should be.

Those everyday concerns are my priority too. Improving access to local health services - especially GP appointments and NHS dental care - must be the test against which any NHS change is judged.

However, the way the NHS is organised does matter, because it affects who makes decisions, how money is spent, and whether local needs are properly understood. That is particularly important for areas like ours, where access to services is already under strain.

In recent years, the NHS has been run locally through organisations called Integrated Care Boards, or ICBs. These bodies plan services, set priorities and control budgets across hospitals, GP practices, community services and councils. In practice, they are what most people would think of as “the NHS” at a local level.

Until now, our area has been split across several systems. Farnham has been part of the Frimley ICB, Haslemere linked elsewhere in Surrey, and Bordon and Liphook within the Hampshire system. It was not a perfect arrangement, but it broadly reflected how people actually use services.

That is now changing. Following the Government’s decision to abolish NHS England, ICB budgets have been reduced and a major reorganisation is under way. Frimley ICB is being abolished entirely, with Farnham and Haslemere moved into a new, much larger Surrey and Sussex ICB. Bordon and Liphook will remain within Hampshire, which is also undergoing its own restructuring.

While hospitals, GP surgeries and staff are not disappearing, there is a real risk that bigger ICBs mean decision-making is taken further away from our communities. Larger footprints and tighter budgets can make it harder to focus on local pressures - particularly access to GPs and dentists - as resources are stretched more thinly.

As your MP, my focus is on ensuring that does not happen. I am working with NHS leaders and local Trusts to make sure our area does not lose out. That includes Farnham Hospital, the long-awaited rebuild of Frimley Park, the future of Haslemere Hospital, and the Health Hub planned for Bordon - all of which matter deeply to local residents.

Reorganisation must never become an excuse for poorer access or slower progress. There is no point in changing structures unless patients see real improvements. I will continue to challenge decisions where needed and press relentlessly for better local services.

Ultimately, people will judge these changes by one simple standard: whether it becomes easier to get the care they need, close to home. That is the standard I will continue to apply.