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Department of Health and Social Care 2025-03-05
05 March 2025
Lead MP
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
NHSSocial Care
Other Contributors: 32
At a Glance
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown raised concerns about department of health and social care 2025-03-05 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
As Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Sir Geoffrey introduced the debate on the supplementary estimate. He emphasised the need for scrutiny to ensure taxpayers' money is used effectively and highlighted the drop in NHS productivity since the pandemic by approximately 23%. He also discussed the funding allocated for day-to-day spending which increased by £10.9 billion but noted a decrease in capital spending, expressing concern over long-term investment in hospitals.
Layla Moran
LD
Oxford West and Abingdon
Echoed Sir Geoffrey's thanks to Amanda Pritchard for her service at NHS England and welcomed the appointment of Dr Penny Dash as the new chair. She stressed the importance of this moment in the future of the national health service.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
Pointed out that staff were still using paper to make notes on patients at her local hospital, highlighting inefficiencies due to the lack of effective digital systems. She agreed with Sir Geoffrey's view that investment in moving from analogue to digital was long overdue.
Chris Vince
Lab/Co-op
Harlow
Acknowledged that productivity has worsened since the pandemic and suggested focusing on the mental health of NHS staff as a way to support their productivity. He emphasised the importance of addressing mental health issues within the NHS.
St Ives
Emphasises the need for integration between different parts of the NHS and social care systems to address delayed discharges. Suggests that more patients cannot be discharged due to primary healthcare conditions, highlighting the necessity for a more integrated approach.
Clive Betts
Lab
Sheffield South East
Critiques complacency in NHS finances and lack of financial incentives for hospitals. Proposes moving towards community services to prevent hospital admissions. Advocates for better distribution of funding between primary care and hospitals, suggesting a diagnostic centre in Sheffield as an example of service improvement.
Name Unavailable
Party Unspecified
Sheffield
Emphasises the inequality in healthcare provision and highlights a disparity of up to 10 years in life expectancy across Sheffield. Criticises current NHS initiatives, such as GP vaccination payment structures that favour wealthier areas over deprived communities.
John Glen
Con
Salisbury
Pays tribute to the Member for North Cotswolds and discusses challenges faced by the NHS including productivity issues, integration of systems, public health, and social care. Acknowledges increased funding but stresses the need for enduring solutions beyond financial injections. Highlights difficulties in resource allocation between ICBs, GPs, and local authorities.
Danny Beales
Lab
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Argues that the NHS requires fundamental reform alongside investment, expressing concern about pressures on the system despite increased funding. Requests protection of capital budgets to facilitate necessary changes in infrastructure and service delivery. Advocates for integrated health and social care financial flows, improvement in primary care provision including GPs, pharmacies, optometrists, and dentists.
Gregory Stafford
Con
Farnham and Bordon
Discusses the challenges of healthcare provision in his constituency, noting issues with fair access to services, particularly in growing areas like Bordon. Emphasises the need for NHS productivity reforms and better allocation of funding towards frontline care improvements rather than being absorbed by administrative costs.
Jen Craft
Lab
Thurrock
Craft discusses the challenges faced by her constituents in accessing NHS services, noting health inequalities driven by factors such as housing, unemployment, and education. She supports the £22.6 billion funding commitment for revenue spending but argues that funding alone is insufficient to change how the NHS operates. Craft highlights the need to extend community diagnostic centre hours and reduce GP shortages.
Layla Moran
LD
Oxford West and Abingdon
Moran emphasises the importance of following the money allocated for health and social care, expressing concern about potential wastage. She provides an example of a constituent facing a 16-year wait for autism assessment, highlighting the need for long-term thinking and technology to improve healthcare efficiency.
North Norfolk
Notes closure of a reablement centre in his constituency, agrees with the need to reopen such facilities if budgets are properly integrated. Supports bridging gap between hospital and community care.
Poole
Acknowledges £25 billion funding for health and social care but notes funding challenges in social care; calls for a national debate on a new national care service providing free domiciliary and residential care. Criticises the false division between health and social care.
Joe Robertson
Con
Isle of Wight East
Acknowledges £10 billion funding but notes it covers essential costs leaving a shortfall, stresses importance of productivity gains through technology use. Advocates for dementia diagnosis target reintroduction and proper funding distribution from hospitals to communities.
Calder Valley
Argued for the need to invest in community and social care, not just hospitals. Highlighted issues like GP retention crises and delayed discharges due to a lack of social care funding.
Seamus Logan
SNP
Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
Discussed the impact of increased NHS expenditure on Scotland, highlighting financial pressures faced by GPs, hospices, charities, and local councils. Called for a flat exemption from additional employer national insurance contributions to help these organisations.
Nesil Caliskan
Lab
Barking
Emphasised the importance of financial sustainability in NHS, critiquing the short-term budgeting approach that relies on reallocating capital budgets to cover revenue shortfalls. Noted the issue of NHS overspending during winter pressures.
Anna Dixon
Lab
Shipley
Agrees with the hon. Member's point about raising capital budgets and highlights that a new Labour Government would properly fund plans for new hospitals in constituencies like Shipley where there are RAAC-infested buildings.
Gregory Stafford
Lab
Lincoln
Agrees with the hon. Member's point about reform but emphasises that without shifts from healthcare to social care by the Government, ICBs will not follow suit. Also highlights the need for reform and productivity improvement.
Sarah Bool
Con
South Northamptonshire
Concerned about the lack of plans to spend £22.6 billion on NHS reforms, efficiency, and supporting priority areas such as dentistry or hospice care. The increase in employer national insurance will cost surgeries £40,000-£50,000 which may lead to redundancies.
Ben Coleman
Lab
Chelsea and Fulham
Supports the hon. Member's advocacy for prevention measures like earlier testing in children with type 1 diabetes and access to continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps, highlighting the need for community care funding.
Agrees that solving GP contracts is a first step towards retaining NHS doctors in the UK. No contribution on specific prevention measures but supports the hon. Member's position.
Alex McIntyre
Lab
Gloucester
Fights for the NHS, highlighting challenges such as maintenance backlogs and recruitment issues seen at Gloucestershire Royal hospital and Tuffley surgery. With Labour’s investment, waiting lists are decreasing and more midwives and dentists are available.
Helen Morgan
LD
North Shropshire
Expressed concern over the crisis in NHS and care sectors, highlighted issues with funding cuts, procurement delays, pharmacy closures, and mental health waiting lists. Urged for faster action on community services and dentistry.
Nesil Caliskan
Lab
Wolverhampton East
Asked Helen Morgan about the procurement processes of ICBs, agreeing that it affects their ability to progress projects.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Questioned Labour's lack of concrete plans for NHS reform, highlighted doubts about whether extra funding would cover inflation and pay rises. Asked the Minister to provide specifics on productivity improvements.
Alex McIntyre
Lab
Lincoln
Asked the shadow minister for a concrete plan on how much extra funding they would provide to the NHS and how it would be financed, criticising the lack of a Labour plan despite their criticism of the government.
Sarah Wollaston
Con
Torington
Criticised the government's pay deal for NHS staff, stating that they have given in on money without asking for productivity improvements. Highlighted warnings from healthcare providers such as RCGP and hospices about potential closures due to NICs rises.
Paul Maynard
LD
Blackpool
Asked the Minister about reducing sickness levels among NHS staff to improve productivity, noting variations across trusts and professions.
Hemel Hempstead
Questioned whether better pay would reduce sickness absences in ambulance services.
Ben Coleman
Con
Wakefield
Acknowledged the Minister's response regarding Charing Cross hospital in his constituency being re-included in the new hospital programme. He expressed disappointment with the previous government's lack of funding for such projects.
Asked about interim reports from the independent commission on adult social care led by Louise Casey, seeking assurance that a first-phase report will inform the spending review before the final 2028 report.
Government Response
Defended the Government's health and social care spending, highlighting an increase of over £22.5 billion in day-to-day health spending and over £3 billion more in capital budget over this year and next. Emphasised the importance of making the right choices to ensure NHS recovery. Explained the £1 billion decrease in capital spending as part of investment in technology and new hospital programmes, with some shifts from capital to revenue due to funding nature. Confirmed no recent shifting has occurred since the autumn Budget. Announced a ban on such shifting going forward. Addressed social care reform through the independent commission led by Louise Casey.
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Assessment & feedback
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