Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Healthcare

Wednesday 13 March 2024 · 5 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 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Healthcare is devolved to the Welsh Government who receive 20% more funding per person than comparable services in England.
  • Jerome Mayhew cited a personal experience where an ambulance arrived 16 hours late for his father-in-law and a six-hour wait outside A&E.
  • The Welsh Government receives around 170 million extra as a result of the Budget according to the Barnett formula.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
NHS Wales
Context

The MP is concerned about the adequacy of healthcare services in Wales, noting significant issues such as long wait times for treatment and ambulance response delays.

Question

What discussions has he had with the Welsh Government on the inadequacies of healthcare services in Wales, where more than 24,000 patients are waiting over two years for treatment?

Answer from David Davies

As my hon. Friend knows, healthcare is devolved to the Welsh Government who receive 20% more funding per person than comparable services in England. Despite this, over 24,000 patients wait more than two years for treatment in Wales compared to around 200 in England.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about discussions with the Welsh Government was not directly addressed; only general comments on funding and wait times were provided.

How: Underlying Context

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Q2 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
NHS Wales
Context

The MP raises concerns about the poor performance of ambulance services, specifically mentioning that fewer than half of red calls were answered within the required eight-minute window.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that Labour should focus on delivering healthcare instead of campaigning for more politicians in Wales, given the unacceptable ambulance service performance?

Answer from David Davies

I completely agree with my hon. Friend, citing his personal experience where an ambulance arrived 16 hours late for his father-in-law and a six-hour wait outside A&E. He criticized Welsh Labour for cutting the NHS budget by £65 million but allocating £120 million extra to politicians.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific ask about prioritizing healthcare delivery was not directly addressed; instead, it focused on criticizing the opposition party's actions and commitments.

How: Criticising Opponent

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Q3 Hywel Williams PC
NHS Wales
Context

The Under-Secretary of State announced additional £200 million for dentistry, but the MP seeks clarification on whether this funding will produce a Barnett consequential for Wales.

Question

Can the Secretary of State confirm if the extra £200 million for English dentistry will result in about £10 million more for Welsh dentistry due to the Barnett formula?

Answer from David Davies

As a result of the Budget, around £170 million extra will go to Wales. The Welsh Government receives 20% more funding per person than comparable services in England yet fails to deliver similar healthcare standards. He criticises Labour's performance.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific ask about the Barnett consequentials was not directly addressed; instead, a general statement on funding and criticism of Labour were provided.

How: Criticising Opponent

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Q4 Sarah Atherton
NHS Wales
Context

The MP brings up a constituent's harrowing experience of waiting for 31 hours in an ambulance and the high rate of preventable deaths attributed to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

Question

Does the Minister agree that the poor healthcare provided by Welsh Labour is putting lives at risk, given the high number of preventable deaths?

Answer from David Davies

My hon. Friend is right; independent commissioners were dismissed by the Welsh Labour Health Minister after raising concerns about £100 million being misspent at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, contributing to poor healthcare quality in Wales.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific ask about putting lives at risk was not directly addressed; instead, the focus was on dismissing commissioners and criticizing Labour's actions.

How: Criticising Opponent

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Q5 Angus MacNeil SNP
NHS Wales
Context

The MP questions whether the UK Government has ever made spending decisions for Wales and funded other parts of the UK as a consequence, suggesting that this leads to disparities.

Question

Have any UK Government health spending decisions been based on Welsh need and then funded England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland accordingly?

Answer from David Davies

According to the Holtham review, Wales required an extra 15%, but the UK Government provided 20%. Despite this, thousands of people are waiting more than two years for treatment, indicating poor management by Welsh Labour.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific ask about UK Government decisions based on Welsh need was not directly addressed; instead, it focused on criticizing the opposition party and referencing a review.

How: Criticising Opponent, Referencing Review

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