Happy New Year. MPs returned to Westminster on Monday, and I wasted no time writing to the Secretary of State for Environment, urging him to take action on Southern Water.

Just before Christmas, nearly 60,000 properties lost water supply across my constituency in Eastleigh, Southampton, and Romsey, leaving our communities in distress only days before the festive season.

I received many emails from elderly and vulnerable residents and their families who were supposed to be on the priority help list and were promised bottles of water that never came.

Fortunately, local friends and neighbours stepped in to help but meanwhile the queues for bottled water at Places Leisure Centre were growing.

That this latest incident came at the same time as the announcement of Southern Water hiking bills by 9% this year defies belief.

READ MORE: How to get Southern Water compensation if your water supply was cut

For too long now we have been expected to pay for Southern Water’s failures to clean up its act, stop dumping sewage in our precious chalk streams or fix crumbling infrastructure.

Meanwhile the water company’s executives continue to take huge bonuses.

I believe firmly it is the water companies who must pay for mistakes, not the consumer, and I’ll keep fighting for my constituents in Eastleigh and everyone across Hampshire on this.

Meanwhile this week Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident and UHS Southampton has been asking patients to attend on their own.

We all know that in Eastleigh and across the country, the NHS is stretched to breaking point.

Just before Christmas I visited a local GP surgery in Eastleigh to hear more about the challenges they are facing.

I’m concerned that Wes Streeting’s plans to address the crisis in the NHS - including faster hospital scans and referrals - while much needed, will put even more pressure on our already overstretched GP surgeries unless more resources are given to them.

As one GP said to me, the NHS is on its knees thanks to 14 years of mismanagement by the Conservative government.

However, you cannot fix the issues in the NHS without addressing the issues in social care.

We don’t have time to wait until the end of the next Parliament for the results of yet another review.

READ MORE: Thousands of homes were without water as work continued

The Lib Dems are urging the Government to fix social care now - starting with free personal care for all adults who need it.

Far too many people who need vital hospital care are not able to access it because of a shortage of beds. That simply isn’t right.

Those already struggling with the rising cost of living—unable to put food on the table or heat their homes—are at even greater risk of falling ill.

Seasonal illnesses like flu and respiratory infections pile additional strain on an already overstretched NHS that just can’t cope, despite the incredible work of our NHS staff.

The Government were warned that if they scrapped the Winter Fuel Allowance for so many pensioners the knock-on effect would be on our NHS.

It’s infuriating that they didn’t listen. I will keep urging them to reconsider.