Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hospital Backlogs

Tuesday 6 May 2025 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Adam Jogee questioned the Secretary about hospital backlogs affecting a constituent's recovery from brain surgery at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
  • Wera Hobhouse highlighted a red flag system in Bath's breast unit that could speed up care for patients with urgent symptoms.
  • Dr Marie Tidball inquired about the decrease in NHS waiting lists but noted long waits for ADHD diagnoses impacting access to support services.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Adam Jogee Lab Newcastle-under-Lyme
NHS
Context

The waiting list for elective care has not met the 18-week standard for almost a decade, and the constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme faces challenges in providing timely and effective care to patients.

Question

I am concerned about hospital backlogs. My constituent recovering from brain surgery at Royal Stoke University Hospital faced multiple setbacks due to failures in duty of care. She had to wait many months for admission to the correct ward with limited time for rehabilitative treatment. Does the Secretary agree that to tackle backlogs, hospitals must have resources to provide the right care first-time round?

Answer from Wes Streeting (The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question, horrified by his constituent’s experience, and agree that tackling backlogs requires effective use of resources to provide timely care without compromising quality or safety. The Government is investing £26 billion in the NHS and social care, despite opposition parties voting against it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not address the specific ask about hospital resources and failed to commit to additional funding or measures for providing right care initially.

How: Discussed General Investment Without Specifics

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Q2 Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath
NHS
Context

Specialists at Royal United hospital in Bath suggested a red flag system for faster care, identifying risk proactively to ensure timely access to urgent care.

Question

On a recent visit to the breast unit of the Royal United Hospital in Bath, specialists told me about a red flag system that could help speed up care. If someone has a red flag symptom, such as a lump or bleeding nipple, the triage team can book them straight into the clinic, rather than waiting for GP referral. Does the Secretary support this approach?

Answer from Wes Streeting (The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

I thank the hon. Member for her constructive contribution, as digital and technological transformation is a key part of our plans for reform and modernisation in the NHS. We aim to use patient data more effectively to identify risk proactively and ensure timely access to urgent care.

Answered
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Q3 Marie Tidball Lab Penistone and Stocksbridge
NHS
Context

Long waiting times for an ADHD diagnosis are affecting children, leading to issues with accessing support such as child and adolescent mental health services and shared care agreements.

Question

I welcome the news that NHS waiting lists have gone down. However, my constituents still face long waits for ADHD diagnoses which impacts access to crucial support services like CAMHS and shared care agreements. Will the Secretary set out how his work will target reducing these waiting times in my constituency?

Answer from Wes Streeting (The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her question, and I pay tribute to the Secretary of State for Education who is leading cross-Government work on this issue. We have a taskforce specifically looking at these issues, aiming to improve the health and care services for care-experienced young people.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not provide specific measures or targets for reducing waiting times in Penistone and Stocksbridge.

How: Discussed Taskforce But No Specifics

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