NHS: Long-term Strategy

Wes Streeting Lab

Ilford North

The NHS is experiencing its biggest crisis due to Conservative mismanagement over the past thirteen years. The current situation involves long waits for ambulances, excessive waiting times in A&E, and preventable deaths. There are no viable alternatives proposed by the government, unlike Labour's plan that would double medical school places, increase nursing and midwifery training spots, enhance health visitor numbers, and boost district nurses.

Alun Cairns Con

Beaconsfield

Asked about Wales' worse performance despite long-term Labour control of the NHS there. The hon. Member should account for the underperformance while considering economic factors and comparisons with other regions.

Luke Evans Con

Hinckley and Bosworth

Highlighted issues around comparable data between Wales and England, questioning Labour's stance on sharing such data. Also mentioned the NHS White Paper introduced by the Government for transforming the NHS through integrated care boards.

Lee Anderson Reform

Ashfield

Asked the hon. Member to send him a copy of Labour’s fully costed NHS plan upon request from Reform UK members in Ashfield.

Seema Malhotra Lab Co-op

Feltham and Heston

Provided an example involving her constituent's relative who experienced severe delays for hospital treatment due to a lack of available beds, blaming the current government's underfunding and failure to plan strategically.

Tim Loughton

Asked why the last Labour Government spent only 8% of GDP on the NHS when the figure was at 10.6% during their tenure, which is average for EU nations.

Toby Perkins Lab

Chesterfield

Agreed with his hon. Friend's critique of wasted money in the NHS due to insufficient long-term planning for staffing needs, leading to excessive reliance on agency workers.

Angela Eagle Lab

Wallasey

Questions the Conservative party's integrity in enforcing minimum service guarantees during strikes, pointing out their mismanagement and underfunding of services. Criticises the Government for allowing unnecessary deaths due to long A&E wait times.

Andy McDonald Lab

Middlesbrough and Thornaby East

Expresses dismay at Conservative comments, highlighting that 600,000 people each month face four-hour or longer waits in A&E, resulting in hundreds of avoidable deaths per month.

Natalie Elphicke

Defends the Conservative Government's record on health service delivery, citing examples like a new hospital and dementia village for Dover and Deal. Claims there is more to do but argues that they have a plan in place.

Tim Farron Lib Dem

Westmorland and Lonsdale

Proposes an idea from the all-party parliamentary group on radiotherapy, highlighting poor cancer waiting times and low investment in radiotherapy compared to developed nations. Asks for Labour's involvement to improve funding for radiotherapy.

Marsha de Cordova Lab

Battersea

Supports the case against Government policies affecting NHS eye health, noting that more than 650,000 people are waiting for appointments and advocating for early intervention to prevent avoidable sight loss.

Rachael Maskell Lab Co-op

York Central

Criticises the Government's failure in social care with 165,000 vacancies leading to logjammed NHS services. Advocates for fair wages for social workers based on the Agenda for Change framework.

Steve Barclay Con

North East Cambridgeshire

The NHS faces significant pressures, with the pandemic impacting hospital flow and delayed discharges being a major factor. The Government has committed to £250 million additional funding for emergency departments and discharge initiatives. Innovation like virtual wards is saving hospital capacity and improving patient satisfaction. More funding will be announced in the autumn statement.

Karin Smyth Lab

Bristol South

Asked why the Government has not published information about trailblazers on social care, despite a £2.9 million commitment to fix it, and requested transparency on how this money was used.

Dean Russell Con

Watford

Discussed the innovative virtual wards in Watford, highlighting their success in reducing hospital admissions while maintaining high patient satisfaction rates. Emphasised the importance of funding for the new hospital build programme.

Daisy Cooper Lib Dem

St Albans

Asked about the funding from the new hospitals programme for improvements in Watford, Hemel and St Albans, pressing for a report within seven days on the Secretary of State's meeting with the hospital trust.

Debbie Abrahams Lab

Oldham East and Saddleworth

Noted that UK hospital bed numbers are half the OECD average and questioned whether the Health and Social Care Act 2012 allows up to 49% of beds for private patients, asking if this was regretted.

Angela Eagle Lab

Wallasey

Suggested that the Tory leadership election in summer months led to a failure to plan ahead and caused a crisis in NHS services due to internal faction fighting.

John Redwood

Asked about senior management's reluctance to use more resource for extra beds and staff despite Government funding commitments.

Clive Efford Lab

Eltham

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services surveyed English local authorities in 2019, revealing £6.3 billion cuts to adult social care since 2014 and a reduction of 425,000 beds. Efford questions the Secretary of State on the impact of these cuts and criticises the Government's response as blaming others rather than acknowledging their own incompetence over the past decade.

Imran Hussain Lab

Bradford East

Hussain challenges the Minister to address his question about missed targets in social care services for over a decade and criticises the Government's tendency to deflect blame rather than confront their own issues.

Grahame Morris Lab

Easington

Morris raises concerns about cancer treatment capacity, highlighting poor performance on seven common forms of cancer. He suggests using advanced radiotherapy and artificial intelligence to improve patient outcomes and questions the Secretary of State's openness to this idea.

Tim Farron Lib Dem

Westmorland and Lonsdale

Farron requests for a member of the Health Secretary's team to attend an upcoming inquiry on radiotherapy. He also questions the Secretary of State's response to his earlier intervention.

Vicky Ford

Ford, with family ties in medical professions, praises the Government’s initiative of establishing new medical schools and highlights the success of a local school in Chelmsford. She urges the Secretary of State to consider expanding such programmes where they are needed.

Barbara Keeley

Keeley shares her constituent's experience of difficulty accessing urgent care for his sick child, criticising the current state of the NHS and blaming the Conservative Government’s inadequate planning. She emphasises the need for social care reform beyond sticking-plaster solutions and points out the issues with underfunding community services.

Steve Brine Con

Winchester

The MP emphasises the importance of the independent pay review body in negotiations with trade unions and criticises a potential alternative approach involving direct negotiation between Ministers and unions. He highlights the significant increase in demand within the NHS due to post-covid effects, particularly mentioning cancer diagnoses and flu cases. The MP also discusses patient flow issues impacting ambulances and hospitals, advocating for measures like the purchase of beds and modular units to enhance capacity. Long-term strategies such as elective recovery taskforces and primary care plans are seen positively but with room for improvement. He raises questions about regulation implementation and digital transformation in healthcare. Lastly, he expresses concern over language used when discussing NHS reforms and funding.

Aaron Bell Con

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

Intervenes to question the absence of mention of covid's impact on current health service pressures in the opposition motion. He agrees with Brine that post-covid effects significantly contribute to acute winter pressures.

Karin Smyth Lab

Bristol South

Intervenes to argue that capacity issues within the NHS have been a problem long before the pandemic, citing warnings from experts about running at 96% capacity. She contends that demand outstripping supply is fundamentally an issue of inadequate capacity.

Valerie Vaz Lab

Walsall and Bloxwich

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 prevented integration and opened up the NHS to privatisation, leading to fragmentation. The austerity measures since 2010 have starved local authorities of funding. Nurses went on strike in December due to understaffing and lack of resources, which is a result of mismanagement by the Government.

Alun Cairns Con

Welsh MPs from Labour are not present for this debate. The performance of the NHS in Wales under the Labour Administration has led to longer waiting times and worse outcomes compared to England, with 23% of patients waiting over a year for treatment and 7.9% waiting over two years. Since 2010, only the Labour Government in Wales have cut funding to the NHS.

Angela Eagle Lab

Wallasey

The NHS crisis is severe with patients unable to be discharged due to lack of domiciliary care, ambulances queuing for hours, and inhumane waits in A&E. Staff are burnt out from the pandemic, leading many to leave their jobs due to unsafe conditions and low morale. The real-terms cut of 20% in nurses’ remuneration over the last 13 years is unacceptable, contributing to the current crisis. NHS staff have decided to go on strike to draw attention to these issues, but instead of negotiating, the Government has chosen confrontation.

Caroline Johnson Con

Sleaford and North Hykeham

The Labour party's position on minimum service levels during strikes is confusing. While everyone wants to ensure safety, current challenges include uncertainty about who will work and lack of negotiation power for workers in different areas. This makes public health messaging difficult and puts people at risk.

Maggie Throup

The NHS has saved countless lives since its inception in 1948, but today's challenges include relieving pressure on the system through diagnostics. Diagnostic tests can diagnose conditions early, allowing for timely treatment and reducing serious illnesses. The use of modern diagnostic technology could save billions and improve patient care, requiring changes to established protocols within A&E departments and links with laboratories.

Maria Eagle Lab

Liverpool Garston

The health service is under immense pressure, with patients waiting excessively long hours for beds and treatment. Maria Eagle provided a personal account of her constituent Lynne O’Sullivan’s experience where her father spent over 54 hours in A&E at Aintree University Hospital before receiving an MRI scan after 78 hours. The situation has worsened to the point where some hospitals have advised patients not to attend unless their condition is life-threatening. Doctors at a new Royal Liverpool hospital described conditions as 'chaotic and unpleasant', expressing shame at the standard of care provided.

John Redwood

Acknowledging the pressure on the health service, John Redwood emphasises the need for smarter working practices to manage staff more effectively. He supports expanding training places further but also suggests looking at those who have left the profession and might be attracted back due to improvements in tax and pension issues. He urges the Government to invest extra money into increasing hospital bed spaces along with necessary staffing, advocating that this could alleviate some of the pressure.

Mike Amesbury

Mike Amesbury acknowledges the sacrifices made by NHS staff but highlights that the system is facing its worst crisis ever. He criticises the Government for failing to address waiting lists and staff burnout, citing figures where 7.1 million people are awaiting care beyond acceptable timescales. In his constituency, Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has more than 33,000 patients waiting for care, with only 59% seen within 18 weeks against a target of 92%. He points out that patients are sometimes forced to wait in corridors and car parks for hours, indicating a direct result of Tory mismanagement over the past years.

Paul Bristow Con

Peterborough

Described the positive news of a new NHS community diagnostic centre opening in Peterborough, which includes MRI, CT and ultrasound scanning among other services. He stated that it will conduct over 67,000 extra scans annually, helping to cut waiting times and detect conditions earlier. Bristow used an example of life-saving medical intervention by constituents as evidence of the NHS's capabilities.

Toby Perkins Lab

Chesterfield

Called for a long-term plan to address the staffing crisis in the NHS, noting that there are 160,000 vacancies and significant issues with access to GP services and social care. He highlighted the strain on senior management due to the failures under the current government and the tragic consequences of delayed treatment.

Anna Firth

Acknowledged ongoing challenges while praising local NHS staff for their hard work and innovation, mentioning improvements such as additional beds and discharge services in Southend Hospital. She also provided international context regarding the pressures on healthcare systems globally due to respiratory viruses.

Kim Leadbeater Lab

Spen Valley

Leadbeater criticised the Conservative government's lack of response to the NHS crisis, citing underfunding and staff shortages over the past decade. She pointed out that without adequate funding and staffing levels, the NHS would be unable to cope with current demand and highlighted specific issues faced by a GP surgery in her constituency.

Luke Evans Con

Hinckley and Bosworth

Evans acknowledged the challenges facing the NHS due to an ageing population, technological advancements, and workforce shortages. He suggested practical changes such as reviewing prescribing practices, improving IT systems, and capping list sizes for GPs to increase productivity and improve patient care.

Roger Gale Con

Herne Bay and Sandwich

Gale briefly addressed the House regarding the time constraints but did not provide a detailed position on the NHS crisis.

Nicholas Fletcher Con

Wakefield

Fletcher responds to negativity from the Opposition by praising Doncaster Royal Infirmary staff for their quick response and excellent care. He also mentions a constituent’s positive experience with NHS services, advocating for recognition of good work in addition to addressing issues. Fletcher supports the introduction of integrated care boards and additional funding but calls on unions to collaborate rather than strike.

Charlotte Nichols Lab

Warrington North

Nichols argues that 13 years of Conservative governance have led to crises across health and social care systems. She points out declining infrastructure, poor patient experience, and the need for a new hospital in Warrington due to outdated facilities. She provides an example of a constituent’s traumatic experience at Warrington Hospital during winter, highlighting unnecessary pain and distress.

Simon Baynes Con

Clwyd South

Baynes criticises Labour Welsh MPs for the poor performance of health services in Wales compared to England despite longer governance. He cites statistics on waiting times being worse in Wales, questioning why they do not implement better policies if they believe them to be effective. Baynes addresses day-to-day problems faced by his constituents and compares healthcare conditions across borders.

Afzal Khan Lab

Manchester Rusholme

I would like to begin by placing on record my personal thanks to the thousands of NHS staff across Manchester... Members on the Government Benches know it, too. After 13 years of Tory failures, only the Labour party now has a plan to fix our NHS.

Aaron Bell

In line with the wording of the amendment, which I rise to support, I thank all NHS staff... That did not happen under the previous Labour Government. We know about elective recovery because we had to recover in 2010...

Taiwo Owatemi Lab

Coventry North West

Today I would like to cover two matters that are deeply important to my constituents and where the Government have consistently failed... Lastly, I thank all the NHS staff at my local hospital, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, for all their dedication...

Mohammad Yasin Lab

Bedford

Bedford Hospital, its partners in the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes trust and ambulance services are currently experiencing an extreme level of pressure... The Conservatives have been in power for 13 years. It is clear that the NHS has been broken apart piece by piece...

Robin Millar

I acknowledge the hard-working staff of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who serve us to the best of their ability and make terrific efforts to give us the care that we need and deserve in north Wales. I want to mention Welsh colleagues from across the House, many of whom share my concern over the state of the health service in Wales. Healthcare spending now accounts for some 55% of the Welsh Government budget. Our treatable mortality rate is 20% higher than in England. Last year, five out of seven of our health boards were in some form of special measures. My health board, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, was in special measures for six years. The hon. Member for Batley and Spen (Kim Leadbeater), who is not in her place, was absolutely correct when she said that the Government have to take responsibility—the Welsh Government must take responsibility for their 25 years of stewardship of healthcare in Wales.

Paulette Hamilton Lab

Birmingham Erdington

I know at first hand that after 13 years of Tory mismanagement, our NHS is in crisis. Many health workers who have dedicated their lives to caring for others day in, day out are still living with the after effects of having worked flat out during and before the pandemic. Tory cuts have reduced A&E departments to shells of what they were under the last Labour Government—they are now so busy that staff feel that they can seem, at times, like a zoo. Social care needs fundamental reform that truly brings together health and social care. The ongoing failure of the Government to address staffing levels can be a matter of life or death for patients. If we add all that time together, collectively, the British public waited almost 65 years for emergency treatment.

Danny Kruger Reform

East Wiltshire

I put on record my appreciation and thanks for the NHS staff who serve my constituents in Devizes in Wiltshire, particularly those at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon and the Salisbury District Hospital. Although we talk about the crisis in the NHS, it is a perennial crisis. The shadow Secretary of State is right to say that we need fundamental reform, but I am not sure that that is what we are hearing from him. We should go further and integrate the non-specialist services that exist in our communities. Much of the demand on health and social care is driven by lifestyle and relationships, so we need to harness the immense resources of civil society to support families and communities.

Janet Daby Lab

Lewisham East

Our NHS is in crisis, and it must never be overlooked that it was in crisis before the pandemic. The British Medical Association has supported that view. Staff are experiencing burnout and NHS hospitals are understaffed. The Conservative Government must fix these systemic problems and end this crisis. If they do not, it will inevitably be left to a Labour Government to clean up this mess when we do get into government.

Rebecca Long-Bailey Lab

Salford

A Salford health worker said to me recently that a seriously ill man was frightened of being taken to hospital and made it clear he was at risk of death and that he needed urgent treatment. He had waited hours. Our constituents are frightened, and many are choosing not even to attempt to access vital treatment for fear of what will happen to them. Of the half a billion pounds of so-called early discharge funding announced by the Prime Minister recently, only £200 million—40%—has actually made it to the NHS and local authorities. The King’s Fund calls this a “decade of neglect”.

Karin Smyth Lab

Bristol South

The root cause of this problem is capacity. In my area of Bristol, north Somerset and south Gloucestershire, we are short of roughly 300 beds. Added to the low base of funding, in a growing city we have a real capacity problem. Matching capacity to demand in all ICB areas, so that we understand in our own patches what is really happening, is the way forward. To help the system, we need to start paying carers a decent wage, with a career structure and decent employment rights.

Holly Lynch

Described the experience of a parent who faced difficulties accessing healthcare for their sick children, highlighting the inadequacies in the NHS response system during times of crisis.

Mary Foy Lab

City of Durham

Emphasised that the current NHS crisis predates COVID-19 and is a result of 13 years of Conservative neglect, detailing personal experience with healthcare delays leading to life-altering consequences. Called for meaningful negotiations to end strikes and train more healthcare staff.

Grahame Morris Lab

Easington

Focused on the mismanagement of cancer care, particularly in radiotherapy treatment capacity, urging immediate action and investment to improve treatment outcomes and engage with leading clinicians.

Margaret Greenwood

Critiqued the Health and Social Care Act 2012 for allowing NHS hospitals to generate income from private patients, questioning the morality of diverting resources away from public service. Demanded reinstatement of comprehensive, universal, publicly-run healthcare.

Fleur Anderson Lab

Putney

Expressed concern over complacency in addressing NHS issues, illustrating chaotic conditions at St George’s A&E and highlighting critical shortages in community care. Criticised the Government's failure to provide a long-term plan and improve service delivery.

Liz Kendall Lab

Leicester West

Kendall criticises the Government for blaming current issues solely on COVID-19 and winter flu, pointing out that waiting times were already at record levels before the pandemic. She highlights the incompetence of the Government in planning for emergencies such as shortages in care home beds.

Steve Brine Con

Winchester

Discussed increased demand for care and the importance of prevention.

Maggie Throup Con

Erewash

Brought in her expertise as a biomedical scientist, talking about innovative diagnostic tests to improve care and productivity.

Paul Bristow Con

Peterborough

Shared the story of how the life of a constituent was saved through first aid and NHS care.

Anna Firth Con

Southend West

Worked hard to support her hospital and often comes with suggestions. Asked for more funding for social care.

Evans Con

Bosworth

Spoke about the 50% increase in people over 100 years old, increased demand for healthcare, and ideas to improve supply.

Nick Fletcher Con

Don Valley

Reminded the House of excellent care provided in his area but asked for a new hospital. Discussed workforce and bed capacity.

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