NHS Treatment Waiting Times 2024-04-23
2024-04-23
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP notes that NHS waiting lists have risen significantly since the Conservative government took power, and criticizes the government for not taking responsibility.
What steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS treatment. NHS waiting lists have risen threefold since the Tories came to power, and the Prime Minister's pledge to cut waiting lists is in tatters. Rather than taking responsibility, the Tories first blamed NHS staff who were trying to get better pay, and now they have opened up a new round of media attacks on the sick and the disabled. Why do not the Government instead go after the tax dodgers, as Labour plans to do, to raise funds and help resolve the crisis in our NHS?
The hon. Gentleman does not condemn the strikes, while we are getting waiting lists down in England, Welsh Labour has the longest hospital waits in Great Britain, putting patients at risk because it does not have a plan to clear the backlog. In December 2023 the Welsh Labour Government had the highest number of patients in Great Britain waiting over two years for treatments.
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Assessment & feedback
The questioner's specific ask about addressing tax dodging was entirely avoided
Changing Subject To Blame Opposition
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP notes an increase in the number of women coming to surgeries about chronic urinary tract infections affecting their daughters, and mentions there is no current treatment pathway.
Increasing numbers of women are coming to my constituency surgeries about chronic UTIs among girls. Unfortunately there seems to be no treatment pathway for chronic UTIs among girls. Does my right hon Friend have any thoughts about that, and would he agree to meet me to discuss the issue further?
I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the issue.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP questions if the Prime Minister will call a July general election to avoid addressing poor NHS performance, asking about the pledge to lower NHS waiting lists.
Happy St George's day, Mr Speaker. Westminster is awash with rumours that the PM will call a July general election presumably to avoid giving his Rwanda gimmick time to fail. I have a very simple question for the Minister: Will he repeat the pledge that the Prime Minister made last year and promise that NHS waiting lists will be lower at the time of the general election than when the Prime Minister came to office?
The Prime Minister has been very clear that getting waiting lists down is one of his top priorities, but he has also been clear that performance has been disappointing. One reason is 1.4 million procedures have had to be rescheduled because of industrial action.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask about pledging lower waiting lists was not directly answered
Acknowledged Issue But Did Not Commit
Response accuracy