Future of the NHS — [James Gray in the Chair]

He thanked NHS staff for their efforts over the past years, particularly during the pandemic. He criticized the Government's handling of the NHS, highlighting record waiting lists, staffing crises, and growing health inequalities. Andrew Gwynne emphasized the need for a long-term plan to address these issues, including recruiting more mental health professionals and investing in preventive health measures.

The MP praised NHS staff and highlighted the need for tangible financial support, including expanding workforce capacity and meeting a capital maintenance backlog of over £9 billion. He argued against privatisation and the Health and Care Bill, advocating for an efficient public sector service with no conflict of interest allowing private companies to sit on ICBs.

I am concerned about the impact of the Health and Care Bill on Wales, noting that NHS commissioners spend £9.7 billion on private sector services. The Bill will increase the role of the private sector in the NHS, reduce oversight, and fail to improve social care despite two years of waiting for a plan from the Government.

Ms Catherine West highlighted the lack of staff in primary care, GPs, nursing, and psychiatry within her constituency. She mentioned that patients wait days to see consultants due to a shortage of medical professionals and pointed out poor dental health rates among children. She also expressed concern over NHS staff's financial struggles due to pay freezes since 2010 and the insufficient funding for dentistry. Furthermore, she criticised the Health and Social Care Levy Act 2021 and the Health and Care Bill for failing to address critical issues within the NHS. Ms. West agreed with her colleague's concerns about a lack of transparency in funding, suggesting it could lead to another £4 billion wastage as seen during the covid crisis. Asked if the Minister can give way and questioned how the Act will ensure no conflict of interest between private providers on integrated care boards and those providing services, referencing a previous scandal.

Agrees that the NHS is running on empty due to Tory mismanagement and pressures from the pandemic. There are record waiting lists, with 6 million people waiting for care in November alone, and a shortage of dentists per capita. Asked if the Minister can give way and provided historical context on Labour's involvement with private sector bidders to increase capacity quickly.

Concerns about the centralisation of the NHS and wastage due to bureaucracy, proposing decentralisation for better service delivery to local communities.

The privatisation of long-term care for the elderly has created a £6 billion industry, leaving 40% of patients in private nursing homes and leading to casualised and deskilled staff. The NHS Act of 2012 required all contracts to be tendered to any qualified provider, resulting in various issues such as ambulance services run by taxi firms and hospital cancellations due to lack of profitability. The proposed Health and Care Bill will fragment the NHS into 42 separate areas with fixed budgets, allowing private healthcare companies to make decisions about provision, leading to chaos and irresponsibility.

The NHS workforce is worse off than they were a year before, with 55% working during their lunch breaks and over 50% working in excess of contracted hours.

Mr Imran Hussain focused on the dangers of privatisation in the NHS, particularly in Bradford, where he fought against plans to privatise local hospitals three years ago. He also addressed poor GP services in his constituency with constituents unable to secure appointments and faced delays even for urgent cases. Mr Hussain called for better service standards and urged those opposing privatisation to oppose the Health and Care Bill.

Challenges that if we are not careful, the NHS could reach a point where patients without money cannot afford care, risking the principle of free healthcare at the point of use. I acknowledge the dedication of healthcare workers during the pandemic and emphasize that the NHS must remain publicly owned. I support increased funding to adopt innovative technology and pay NHS workers a fair wage, ensuring that the ethos of care and compassion remains at its core.

The Health and Care Bill threatens to open the floodgates to further privatisation by implementing a healthcare model that incentivises cuts, closures, and rationing of funding. The new legislation will dilute patient voices and welcome private companies onto integrated care systems' boards, reducing transparency and accountability. There is concern over cronyism during the pandemic with billions of pounds going to failed track and trace systems while NHS real pay for nurses has been cut.

She praised the NHS and criticised the Health and Care Bill for its privatisation risks, highlighting concerns over private companies' influence and potential cost increases for patients. She also warned about increased rationing of services due to financial constraints on integrated care systems. Asked if the Minister can give way and questioned whether the recent consultation took place during a time when NHS staff are exhausted, also asking about the percentage of NHS staff who participated.

He thanked his constituents for supporting the petition against NHS privatisation and criticised the Government's reforms as wrong and counterproductive during the pandemic. He mentioned a staffing shortage, record backlog, and fears that the Health and Care Act 2012 has weakened the NHS.

NHS dentistry is in crisis, with people waiting over two years to see a dentist in my constituency and similar issues reported across the country.

The MP expressed concern about the Health and Care Bill's impact on NHS dentistry, citing a reduction of one third in net Government spend on general dental practice over the last decade. The Bill is seen as worsening the situation by allowing private companies to award contracts for clinical care without considering other bids. There are worries that this will lead to normalised rationing across healthcare services.

Mr. Burgon criticised the Conservative Party's history of opposing the NHS and their current push towards privatisation, citing underfunding and increased private sector involvement as major issues. He highlighted that there are nearly 100,000 vacancies in the NHS and £100 billion spent on non-NHS providers over the past decade. Mr. Burgon also mentioned the importance of proper pay for NHS staff.

The SNP wants to see an NHS that is free at the point of use and treats all citizens equally. Despite a lack of democratic mandate, vast sums of public money are being wasted on privatisation in England. Scotland has successfully integrated health and social care services since 2014 without any privatisation, demonstrating better quality improvements year on year with record investment despite austerity cuts. Frontline health spending is £111 higher per head in Scotland than in England. The SNP opposes the Health and Care Bill due to its risks for long-term consequences regarding funding and free trade agreements. Dr Pelle Gustafson praised Scotland's patient safety measures.