In response to the coronavirus, Toby Perkins MP has closed his Chesterfield office to unarranged callers to try and limit the potential for him and his staff to catch the virus and pass it on to constituents.

Toby said, “Thankfully, my staff and I are all well at the moment but we do meet with constituents every day from across Chesterfield and need to limit our potential for spreading the coronavirus. Every person that comes in is a potential carrier and as soon as the first visitor passes it on, my staff and I can infect everyone else who comes in. From now, until further notice, my Constituency office will not be open to unarranged callers. We will attempt to do all casework by telephone, email and FaceTime. I will also continue to do my weekly surgery, but this will also be via telephone or FaceTime. My office remains open to phone calls and emails.”

Toby continued; “The government’s strategy is that we should take all possible steps to avoid passing on the virus, whilst continuing ‘business as normal’ where possible to protect the country from the most savage economic impact of a total lockdown. Allowing businesses to continue trading whilst offices like mine do what we can to reduce contact seems to me to fit in with this advice, and I know also fits in with what many other MPs are doing.

Many of the constituents that we help are elderly, vulnerable or in poor health and so the potential for spreading the Coronavirus is to significant a risk for us to take. I am also conscious that many people may be needing our help in these difficult times and I am keen to do all I can to ensure that my staff remain fit enough to provide that assistance.”

Toby and his team support constituents with a wide range of issues, such as housing, NHS matters, benefit problems, pensions, and many more; as well as providing responses to various political and policy matters. Since becoming an MP in 2010, Toby’s office has dealt with over 21,000 different constituents’ with casework and policy enquiries.

You can contact Toby’s office by email at toby.perkins.mp@parliament.uk or by calling 01246 386286.

Toby added, “I am sorry for any inconvenience caused and can assure my constituents that I will still do all I can to help them. I appreciate what a worrying time this is for everyone and I urge people to follow the advice from Public Health England and do what they can to protect themselves and reduce the spread of the virus.

In the meantime, I will be doing all I can to ensure my constituents are receiving the health services, sick pay and information that they need during these worrying times.”

 

 

Toby
Toby's notification on Facebook that the office closed to unarranged callers
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