A&E Services Solihull Borough 2025-01-27

Opened the debate

I stand today to make the case for accident and emergency services in Solihull borough. Since I was first elected, through the pandemic to now, I have campaigned for better health resources. My life and that of my family has been saved by NHS staff, and I am grateful for their work during the pandemic. In Solihull, we have successfully introduced integrated care systems, secured a new urgent treatment centre, elective surgery units with robotics, and community diagnostic centres. However, one thing is lacking: A&E services at Solihull Hospital which closed in 2013. My constituents now face long travel times to Heartlands hospital for emergency care, affecting their quality of life during critical moments. The borough's growing population and ageing demographics further emphasise the need for a dedicated A&E service within Solihull to reduce pressure on other services and improve patient outcomes.

Government Response

The Minister acknowledges the importance of A&E services in Solihull borough. While details are not provided in this portion of the debate, she emphasises the Government's ongoing commitment to improving health infrastructure across the country. The Minister notes that integrated care boards play a crucial role in addressing local needs and ensuring accountability. She also highlights the growing population in Solihull and acknowledges the concerns raised about travel times for emergency services. Although no specific funding announcements or policy commitments are made, she commits to further discussions on how best to support A&E services within the borough. The Minister congratulates Saqib Bhatti on securing the debate. She thanks NHS staff at Solihull Hospital and acknowledges the challenges faced by emergency departments due to increasing demand, partly explained by the neglect of primary care services. The Minister emphasises that the Government is working to improve the situation through reforms aimed at shifting focus from hospitals to community healthcare and announces £82 million extra funding for GPs in November 2024 and £888 million in December for GP funding. She highlights the issue with social care capacity, detailing a plan involving up to £3.7 billion of extra funding for local authorities and appointing Louise Casey to develop a national consensus on long-term solutions for social care. The Minister also mentions plans to set out lessons learned from winter services before spring, ensuring accountability measures are in place for ICBs through public consultations and interest tests. She concludes by emphasising that it is best for local decision-making within Solihull to determine how their interests are served. We are committed to house building and addressing the pressure on services caused by population growth. Under the previous government, developments often stalled due to infrastructure issues. We are now working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that planning includes basic infrastructure requirements. Regular meetings between the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Deputy Prime Minister are held to coordinate efforts in this regard. The NHS is receiving record capital funding while undergoing reforms to improve efficiency. Our goal is to return to 95% of patients being seen within four hours at A&E, reduce waiting lists to pre-2010 levels, and enhance GP services to meet the needs of constituents. This will take time but we are committed to delivering an NHS and national care service that provides timely and appropriate care.