Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

NHS Waiting Lists: Southampton

Tuesday 19 April 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Alan Whitehead asked about steps to reduce NHS waiting lists in Southampton.
  • The Minister responded that reducing waiting lists is a priority and Southampton will benefit from the elective recovery plan.
  • The Minister acknowledged the high staff sickness levels and ongoing challenges at the Southampton hospital trust.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alan Whitehead Lab
NHS
Context

The question arises from concerns about increasing NHS waiting times in Southampton, exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic.

Question

What steps he is taking to reduce NHS waiting lists in Southampton. The hospital trust in Southampton, which is an excellent provider, is desperate to get back to elective surgery and non-life-threatening procedures but finds that it cannot because it cannot integrate covid treatment into general ward activities and has a continuing high level of staff sickness.

Answer from Edward Argar

Reducing waiting lists and waiting times, exacerbated of course by the impact of the pandemic, is a key priority. Southampton will benefit from the actions set out in the elective recovery plan published by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The Solent Acute Alliance hospital upgrade programme received £12.1 million for University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust to increase capacity at Southampton General Hospital. Some innovations such as surgical hubs allow a greater separation between covid areas and elective activity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assistance requested by the MP was not directly addressed, though general support for recovery plans mentioned.

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Q2 Alan Whitehead Lab
NHS
Context

The hospital trust in Southampton is struggling to return to normal elective surgery and non-life-threatening procedures due to ongoing challenges with integrating covid treatment into general ward activities and high staff sickness levels.

Question

The hospital trust in Southampton, which is an excellent provider, is desperate to get back to elective surgery and non-life-threatening procedures but finds that it cannot because it cannot integrate covid treatment into general ward activities and has a continuing high level of staff sickness. What assistance can the Minister provide for the trust to enable it to get on the front foot as regards elective procedures and non-life-threatening treatments in the near future?

Answer from Edward Argar

The hon. Gentleman rightly pays tribute to the staff at his hospital trust, and I join him in doing so. The number of those in his area waiting for an elective procedure or routine operation has reduced slightly. There is more to do, but the trust is making inroads, as he says, and I know that it wants to do more. As we set out in the elective recovery plan, some innovations such as surgical hubs allow a greater separation between covid areas and elective activity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assistance requested by the MP was not directly addressed, though general support for recovery plans mentioned.

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