Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for NHS Patients

Tuesday 9 December 2025 · 4 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Liam Conlon thanked the Minister for acknowledging the importance of the NHS in providing care and expressed concern over waiting list increases due to budget cuts.
  • Dr Simon Opher invited the Minister to discuss the impacts of business rates on community pubs and their role in reducing social isolation.
  • Bob Blackman highlighted the challenge of discharging street homeless patients from hospitals and called for targeted funding to address this issue.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Liam Conlon Lab Beckenham and Penge
NHS
Context

The MP referenced the increase in waiting lists for hip replacements at King's College Hospital Trust due to Tory cuts from 2011-2024. He expressed gratitude towards NHS staff who cared for him during his sixth form.

Question

When I was in sixth form at the end of the last Labour Government, I became one of the youngest people in Britain to have a hip replacement. I will always be grateful to the incredible NHS staff who cared for me. But between 2011 and 2024, because of savage Tory cuts, the waiting list for hip replacements at King’s College hospital trust, which serves my constituency of Beckenham and Penge, more than doubled. The Tories left thousands of people waiting months on end, but thanks to record investment from this Labour Government, those waiting lists are starting to fall. Will the Minister commit to continuing that investment in the NHS?

Answer from James Murray (Chief Secretary to the Treasury)

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Like him, I will always be grateful to the incredible NHS staff who got me back fighting strong after I was diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition in my 20s. People across the country have stories like ours because we all depend on the NHS, and that is why it is such a priority for us as a Government to invest in our health service to get it back on its feet and build an NHS that is fit for the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to continuing investment at current levels, instead stating general commitment to investment without specifics.

How: General Principles

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Q2 Simon Opher Lab Stroud
NHS Housing
Context

The MP highlighted the role of local GP surgeries and village pubs in reducing social isolation in Stroud. He invited the Minister to discuss how they can help pub landlords.

Question

I thank the Chancellor for investing in our community care. In Stroud, the two beating hearts of our community—GP surgeries and our village pubs—reduce social isolation. Today, the publicans are meeting at Stroud Brewery to discuss the impacts of business rates. May I invite the Minister to discuss how we can help our pub landlords—perhaps over a pint?

Answer from James Murray (Chief Secretary to the Treasury)

My hon. Friend is right to point to the role that pubs play at the heart of local communities—I assume that the pubs and GP surgeries in his example are separate. As my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary set out earlier, we are in a situation where the temporary pandemic business rates relief is coming to an end and the new revaluation, which is post pandemic, comes into effect. In that context, we are supporting the high street, including pubs, with permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure, as well as a support package that means most properties seeing increases will see them capped next year at 15% or less, or £800 for the smallest properties.

Answered
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Q3 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
NHS Housing
Context

The MP pointed out the challenge that the NHS faces in dealing with people who are street homeless and then discharged from hospitals without a safe place to live.

Question

One of the challenges that the NHS faces is dealing with people who are street homeless and who have to go into hospital for treatment. They are then discharged, and it is almost like a rotating saw, unfortunately. What is needed now is targeted funding to ensure that the NHS discharges people to somewhere they have a safe place to live. Will the Minister take up that challenge, particularly at this time of year?

Answer from James Murray (Chief Secretary to the Treasury)

The hon. Member is right to point to the fact that people showing up in hospital can often reflect other social issues, whether homelessness, child poverty or other challenges. As a Government, we take tackling homelessness—by which I mean temporary accommodation and rough sleeping—incredibly seriously and we will publish a homelessness strategy shortly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to allocating targeted funding for homeless individuals discharged from hospitals.

How: General Principles

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Q4 Will Forster Lib Dem Woking
NHS
Context

The MP mentioned Ashford and St Peter's hospital, which has an £80 million repair backlog. He requested sufficient funding to fix the crumbling hospitals.

Question

Ashford and St Peter’s hospital, which serves my constituency, has an £80 million repair backlog. When will the Government allocate sufficient funding to fix our crumbling hospitals, including Ashford and St Peter’s?

Answer from James Murray (Chief Secretary to the Treasury)

As the hon. Gentleman will know, the coalition Government, of which his party was a part, slashed capital investment in our health service. We have restored capital investment in our health service, which is critical to getting it back on its feet. If he is requesting greater investment in the NHS, I hope that he will change his mind, correct the record and support the tax changes that we have made in order to make that possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to allocating specific funding for Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital repair backlog.

How: Blaming Previous Government

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