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Winter Preparedness
18 December 2024
Lead MP
Karin Smyth
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
NHSTaxationEmployment
Other Contributors: 31
At a Glance
Karin Smyth raised concerns about winter preparedness 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:
Government Statement
With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on winter preparedness for the NHS. The Minister acknowledged the hard work of NHS staff and managers during the winter season, noting high levels of seasonal illness such as flu, norovirus, and RSV. She stated that current bed occupancy and ambulance delays are unacceptably high but emphasised that this year there will be no strikes from resident doctors due to a negotiated deal. The statement outlined several measures being taken by the NHS, including strengthening same-day emergency care and offering more falls services for older people, direct intervention through the urgent and emergency care tiering programme, weekly meetings chaired by the Secretary of State focusing on key metrics like improving ambulance response times and reducing A&E waiting times, a national communication campaign encouraging vaccinations to prevent hospital admissions, and long-term reform plans including investment in health and social care integration, home adaptations for disabled people, and an Employment Rights Bill to improve care workers' pay. The minister also highlighted the allocation of £12 billion more than the previous government's plan for health and social care spending this year, with £1.5 billion set aside next year for NHS capital funding.
Edward Argar
Con
Melton and Syston
Question
Will the NHS receive more resources specifically to increase bed and A&E capacity this winter? Are there enough hospital beds and ambulances for this winter, or is she taking steps to increase them?
Minister reply
The minister responded by emphasising that despite the challenges, the Government has taken several measures including weekly meetings chaired by the Secretary of State focusing on key metrics like improving ambulance response times and reducing A&E waiting times. She did not explicitly commit additional specific funding for winter pressures but highlighted ongoing efforts to improve the system's capacity.
Edward Argar
Con
Melton and Syston
Question
As of the 1st of the month, how many people who were medically fit to be discharged had not been for a variety of other reasons?
Minister reply
The minister did not provide specific numbers but acknowledged the issue and emphasised that efforts are being made through direct intervention and prioritising patient safety in meetings with trusts.
Edward Argar
Con
Melton and Syston
Question
What assessment has she made of the supply of the flu vaccine? There are some suggestions that pharmacies and others have run out and are waiting for more deliveries. How many additional 111 and 999 call handlers have been recruited specifically for this winter?
Minister reply
The minister noted that over 28 million vaccinations had been delivered, addressing the supply issue directly. She did not provide specific figures on additional 111 and 999 call handlers but emphasised the importance of the national communication campaign encouraging vaccinations.
Edward Argar
Con
Melton and Syston
Question
What is the impact of national insurance contributions on hospices, social care and GPs? When will an update from the Secretary of State be provided to hospices?
Minister reply
The minister did not provide a detailed answer but indicated that updates would be forthcoming, suggesting potential clarification through written responses or further meetings.
Edward Argar
Con
Melton and Syston
Question
The MP echoed concerns over flu infections, increasing A&E waits, and the impact of scrapped winter payments. He questioned the adequacy of hospital beds and ambulances for winter and sought clarity on specific funding measures.
Minister reply
The Minister apologised for delayed responses to parliamentary questions and emphasised the rapid assessment of pre-existing plans upon entering office in July. She mentioned more current available beds than last year, readiness for cold snaps, weekly monitoring meetings, and fortnightly discussions with NHS England since September.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Question
The MP highlighted the strain on primary care due to patients waiting in emergency departments. She asked how the government will enable primary care to manage patient flow and address the backlog with social care investment.
Minister reply
The Minister reiterated the importance of involving primary care community services in winter planning, noting recent increases in GP numbers. She expressed a commitment to monitoring these services' engagement with surge management strategies.
Helen Morgan
Lib Dem
North Shropshire
Question
Expresses gratitude to health and care staff working during Christmas. Criticises the Conservative government for making winter crisis a norm, citing alarming statistics about ambulance handover delays and patient wait times. Calls on the Government to tackle these issues by proposing a £1.5 billion fund and cross-party talks.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the issue of ambulance delays in the west midlands, emphasising the need for best practice sharing across the NHS. Emphasises commitment to short-term measures and longer-term reforms.
Jennifer Craft
Lab
Thurrock
Question
Highlights persistent pressure on Basildon hospital due to a lack of beds, inadequate primary care services, and estate conditions. Asks what steps the Minister is taking to improve resources and structures for hospitals.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the long-term decline under Conservative leadership and emphasises commitment to stabilizing the system over winter with short-term measures, while planning medium- to long-term reforms.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
Raises the importance of local pharmacies in helping manage health needs, particularly for vaccinations. Asks how the message can be spread to encourage people to use these services.
Minister reply
Apologises for not mentioning pharmacies earlier, states that a campaign called “Think Pharmacy First” is running and emphasises collaboration between primary care and pharmacies.
Calder Valley
Question
Highlights high bed occupancy in Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS foundation trust, with many beds occupied by patients who could be treated elsewhere. Requests assurance on securing social care for the next winter.
Minister reply
Acknowledges shocking levels of bed occupancy and commitment to incentivizing hospital-to-community transition.
Wendy Morton
Con
Aldridge-Brownhills
Question
Concerned about delays in processing pension credit and winter fuel payment claims, affecting those who rely on such payments for warmth. Asks for discussions with the DWP to ensure timely distribution before Christmas break.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the issue and states ongoing discussions with the DWP; willing to look at specific examples.
Christopher Vince
Lab Co-op
Harlow
Question
Welcomes today’s statement, praises emergency services, and highlights East of England ambulance service's new triage process. Asks how the Department is working with ambulance services to share such good practices.
Minister reply
Emphasises learning from local examples and spreading best practices across NHS through collaborative efforts.
Andrew George
Lib Dem
St Ives
Question
Inquired about the reopening of an urgent treatment centre in Penzance hospital, closed under Conservative rule, due to its critical location in a region surrounded by sea.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but refused to make commitments from the Dispatch Box. Emphasised the exploration of different solutions such as telemedicine and community care, rather than necessarily reopening the centre.
Lizzi Collinge
Lab
Morecambe and Lunesdale
Question
Asked how the 10-year plan will address the year-round winter pressures faced by hospitals.
Minister reply
Responded that the plan aims to ensure the system is robust enough to manage predictable seasonal differences.
Neil Hudson
Con
Epping Forest
Question
Expressed gratitude towards frontline healthcare workers and questioned the impact of winter fuel cuts and national insurance rises on healthcare.
Minister reply
Acknowledged frontline worker contributions and emphasised that the NHS is receiving £12 billion more this year from the current Government compared to the previous one.
Peter Swallow
Lab
Bracknell
Question
Asked about ensuring both investment and reforms in healthcare services.
Minister reply
Agreed with the need for efficient use of taxpayers' money and stabilisation of the NHS system to avoid recurring winter crises.
Mike Martin
Lib Dem
Tunbridge Wells
Question
Critiqued the absence of mention of general practice in the minister's statement, highlighting potential staff layoffs due to NIC rises.
Minister reply
Refused to comment on individual cases but promised that announcements would be made shortly.
Lewis Atkinson
Lab
Sunderland Central
Question
Inquired about the assessment of patient safety monitoring during winter.
Minister reply
Stated that patient safety is prioritised, and targets are set to monitor system performance.
Lincoln Jopp
Con
Spelthorne
Question
Asked about the cost of RSV jabs for those over 80.
Minister reply
Promised a response to be provided by officials regarding the specific case mentioned.
Alice Macdonald
Lab Co-op
Norwich North
Question
Praised the use of AI in identifying individuals at risk of hospitalisation due to falls.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the effective use of technology and the prevention of falls, particularly beneficial for elderly patients.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
Questioned the lack of an impact assessment regarding the cost to the NHS due to winter fuel payment removal.
Minister reply
Stressed that doctors are working under this Government, unlike previous years when they were on strike.
Aylesbury
Question
Praised the new emergency medical receiving unit at Stoke Mandeville hospital.
Minister reply
Commended the MP for highlighting good practices and encouraged mainstreaming of such solutions across the NHS.
Manuela Perteghella
Lib Dem
Stratford-on-Avon
Question
Expressed concern over national insurance contributions rising costs to GP surgeries.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the cost increases but highlighted improvements such as funding and increased number of GPs compared to previous government.
Paul Waugh
Lab Co-op
Rochdale
Question
One of the main reasons I became a politician was the fact that my wife is a midwife. She would come home night after night complaining bitterly about staff shortages on the wards. Can the Minister reassure me that maternity services will receive all the funds they need over the winter, and will she join me in thanking all those maternity staff who work so hard over Christmas, over the new year, and all year round?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Many tragedies happen over the Christmas period—my own father died on 23 December. Those staff members go above and beyond to help people at difficult times, but also at times of great joy—babies do not wait for Father Christmas, do they?—and my hon. Friend is right to commend midwives and everyone else who is working at this time. We know that maternity services are particularly stretched across most of the country. Those midwives are doing a tremendous job in keeping the system working, and doing the critically important job of supporting women at a mostly joyous but sometimes very difficult time.
Alison Bennett
Lib Dem
Mid Sussex
Question
At the start of this week, 300 patients were ready to go home from my local NHS hospital trust in Sussex. That bears out the statistic in Lord Darzi’s report that 13% of patients are medically fit for discharge. I am really concerned that we have now reached a point with winter pressures where corridor waits are normalised, not only in A&E departments but in the case of initiatives such as continuous flow models, with corridor trolley waits being pushed into regular wards. It is unacceptable that this has become normalised. Will the Minister expand on her comments about the national care service? When will the plans be published? Will the Government work with us on a cross-party basis, and why did this work not begin sooner?
Minister reply
As I said in my statement, we have begun plans to stabilise the workforce and the employment Bill is going through the House, so I do not agree with the hon. Lady on that point. We know that it will take a long time, and we will of course be working with colleagues to ensure that we do develop that national care service.
Amanda Martin
Lab
Portsmouth North
Question
Let me begin by echoing the Minister’s words and thanking the fantastic NHS workers and those in the wraparound service who provide a vital service in Portsmouth all year round, but particularly in winter. Let me also thank all the Members who turned up for the joint NHS consultation with me and with the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan). Unfortunately, owing to the scale of the damage done to the NHS by the last Government, our NHS providers have to make very difficult decisions at this time. Can the Minister reassure me and my constituents, that patient safety, and emergency services in particular, will be this Government’s first priority during the winter?
Minister reply
I am very pleased to reiterate that safety is the watchword for winter, as it is all year round, and to stress that that is why NHS England wrote about it today. I commend my hon. Friend for meeting her constituents locally, and I urge all Members to do the same. We are getting some fantastic ideas from staff and from patients about how to reform and change the system for the long term.
Jessica Brown-Fuller
Lib Dem
Chichester
Question
One in four people trying to contact their GPs last month were unable to get a same-day appointment, and one in 20 could not get through to their GPs at all. We know that these people end up in A&Es up and down the country, and that hospitals are already buckling under the strain. What is the Minister doing to improve support for GPs and frontline services during this winter crisis, especially while they navigate the challenges of the employer NICs rises?
Minister reply
I refer back to what I said in my statement about how we are supporting the system. We absolutely understand the importance of primary care, and of using 111 to make sure that people are directed towards getting the right care in the right place. We know that the system is under pressure, and we will continue to do all we can to support it in the longer term, as well as in the short term.
Emma Foody
Lab Co-op
Cramlington and Killingworth
Question
I recently visited Northumbria specialist emergency care hospital in Cramlington in my constituency. I met the staff there, who shared their concerns about winter pressures. Every year, they closely track the flu seasons in Australia, given that the patterns that emerge there are often what follows here. They are extremely concerned about what we are going into this winter. What steps has the Department taken to ensure that as many people as possible are vaccinated this winter?
Minister reply
I am working very closely with the UK Health Security Agency to make sure that, week on week, we are aware of the movement of different diseases and viruses through the system, and we will continue to publicise the campaign to get people vaccinated. Anything that hon. Members can do to support that campaign, and to make sure that people support themselves and their loved ones, will be gratefully received by the entire system. The campaign is something that everyone can get behind.
Danny Chambers
Lib Dem
Winchester
Question
While we all pay tribute to the NHS staff who work over Christmas, we should remember that they are not only missing Christmas with their families, but putting their own health at risk in caring for us. On Monday, Winchester hospital declared a critical incident, saying that it could admit no more patients and asking people to seek treatment elsewhere. For years, the chief executive officer of the hospital has been requesting 160 extra social care packages, because the lack of social care is stopping the flow of patients through the hospital. She said that providing such packages is the single biggest thing that would help deal with the winter crisis. In September, Winchester hospital applied for winter crisis funding to put an urgent treatment centre on the front of its A&E department to help deal with the anticipated extra caseload. It is now December, and the hospital has still not heard whether it will get the funding. Given the number of critical incidents being declared, will the Minister meet me and the CEO to discuss how we can support the hospital through this situation, and how we can avoid having a planned crisis next winter?
Minister reply
As I said earlier, different systems have different issues. Funding has been allocated in advance to the NHS so that it understands which systems require funding, and that has now been baked in for this year. I cannot address the hon. Gentleman’s points directly from the Dispatch Box, but I am very happy for officials to take note of them and to check with the system on what is happening in his particular community. Obviously, it is important that Winchester hospital works closely with its local authority with regard to discharge. We want to improve the better care fund, and I am sure that he will work with the local authority and his hospital to make sure that it works better.
Clive Jones
Lib Dem
Wokingham
Question
I declare an interest: I am a governor of the Royal Berkshire hospital, and I have a family member who has shares in a medical company. The Royal Berkshire hospital has experienced its highest increase in emergency department attendances as we head into the winter period, yet the estate of the Royal Berks is crumbling, out of date and not fit for purpose. People with infectious diseases, such as flu, covid and norovirus, cannot easily be isolated due to poor air circulation, which only makes the situation worse. When will the Royal Berkshire hospital be rebuilt, and will the Minister visit it to see the full extent of our challenges? Finally, may I wish the Secretary of State and the Minister a merry Christmas? They should take a short break but come back quickly to continue to clear up the Conservatives’ massive failures on the NHS.
Minister reply
Hopefully, we will make announcements on the Royal Berkshire hospital and others as soon as possible in the new year, as I know that this issue is of great concern to all hon. Members. We know that the system will be under pressure, and we thank everyone working in it. We want to make sure that everyone keeps well, and I will take this opportunity to thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments. I am looking forward to returning here in January, hopefully to answer more questions. I thank hon. Members for their questions this afternoon.
Shadow Comment
Edward Argar
Shadow Comment
The Minister was thanked by Edward Argar for her statement but criticised the lack of concrete measures to increase capacity specifically over the winter period. He highlighted that in previous years, the Conservatives provided £200 million for NHS resilience during peak winter months along with £40 million for social care capacity and discharges from hospital, and a total of £1 billion was announced earlier that year to boost capacity by delivering 5,000 additional beds, 800 new ambulances, and 10,000 virtual ward places. Argar questioned the Government's lack of specific funding for winter pressures and asked if there would be more resources provided this winter specifically for increasing bed and A&E capacities.
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