Topical Questions

Health and Social Care – in the House of Commons at on 15 October 2024.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Chris McDonald Chris McDonald Labour, Stockton North

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Today, I am publishing the full findings of Dr Penny Dash’s review of the Care Quality Commission. Her interim report made it clear that the CQC was not fit for purpose, with fewer inspections being carried out, urgent follow-ups being neglected and patient safety being put at risk. Today, she makes seven recommendations for improvement, and I have made sure that the CQC has begun urgently putting them into practice. We are also publishing a review of the CQC’s deeply flawed single assessment framework today. Sir Julian Hartley will shortly begin as its new chief executive, with my full support.

Photo of Chris McDonald Chris McDonald Labour, Stockton North

My constituent Mark has been unable to find an NHS dentist for his 19-month-old child, even at the seventh time of trying. My right hon. Friend well understands the crisis he has inherited. Will he meet me to discuss the shortage of dentistry in Stockton North and across Teesside?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

I am sorry for my hon. Friend’s constituents, and so many others who are dealing with the consequences of the Conservatives’ failure on dentistry. I would be delighted to meet him to discuss the challenges in his area.

Photo of Victoria Atkins Victoria Atkins Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

I congratulate all nominees and winners in the NHS parliamentary awards yesterday. Their success was richly deserved, and the awards were a very good example of the House coming together to celebrate those who work so hard in our health service and social care services.

In the past five weeks, I have asked the Secretary of State 29 questions at this Dispatch Box, yet he has managed to answer only one. For the rest, he has tried to bluster his way out of his policy decisions, as we have seen this morning. Let us try again. When will be the first week in which we see delivery of his promised 40,000 more appointments?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

After the performances I had to put up with when the right hon. Lady was at the Government Dispatch Box, she has some brass neck complaining at the Opposition Dispatch Box that I am not answering her questions. She will know that we are working at pace to stand up 40,000 more appointments every week as our first step, as promised in our manifesto, and we will deliver. More than that, we will go into the next election with a record of which the right hon. Lady can only dream.

Photo of Victoria Atkins Victoria Atkins Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

After 14 years of opposition—two and a half of which the Secretary of State spent on the Front Bench and travelling around the world, funded by other Governments, to look at their healthcare systems—and more than 100 days in government, the right hon. Gentleman does not even know the start date of his own flagship policy. He is no Action Man; he is Anchorman.

Let us deal with Labour’s cruel decision to slash winter fuel payments, which will add pressure not only to patients, but to the NHS. The NHS’s deputy chief operating officer—

Photo of Victoria Atkins Victoria Atkins Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

After Labour’s cruel decision to slash winter fuel payments, which will add pressure to the NHS, its deputy chief operating officer warned that this winter our health service will not have the extra capacity or funding that it needs, which the Conservatives had previously provided. Why has the Secretary of State

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The shadow Secretary of State questions the budget for this winter, but it was set by her Government. Is that finally an admission of failure on her part? Something else that we will have this winter, which we did not have last winter or the previous winter is no—

Photo of Lola McEvoy Lola McEvoy Labour, Darlington

Will the Secretaryof State meet me to discuss a cross-departmental pilot in my constituency, bringing together the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care, to tackle some of the immediate pressures that face child and adolescent mental health services in my area, and the impact on schooling, the local work force and family outcomes?

Photo of Stephen Kinnock Stephen Kinnock Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

By cutting mental health waiting lists and intervening earlier, we can get this country back to health and back to work. There are 2.9 million people who are economically inactive, a large proportion owing to mental health issues. Many people can be helped back into work through talking therapies. We will put a mental health professional in every school and roll out 8,500 specialists. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the matter further.

Photo of Helen Morgan Helen Morgan Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)

In England, 4.4 million children have not seen a dentist for at least a year. Meanwhile, in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin integrated health board, £1 million of dental funding went unspent in 2022-23. The system is clearly broken. When can we expect the Secretary of State to fix it?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

It is precisely because of the situation the hon. Member describes—the poor services and, ironically, the underspends in the dentistry budget—that we will work not only to stand up the 700,000 urgent and emergency dental appointments we promised, but to do the prevention work for children in our schools.

Photo of Tan Dhesi Tan Dhesi Chair, Defence Committee, Chair, Defence Committee

Many people in my constituency are grateful that Slough will soon be home to a £25 million community diagnostic centre, which will help to reduce waiting lists, but many are also concerned that the local trust may be contracting out services for MRI scans. Does the Minister agree that, instead of just outsourcing, local trusts should, whenever possible, try to increase expertise and capacity in-house?

Photo of Andrew Gwynne Andrew Gwynne The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

We are committed to expanding community diagnostic capacity to build an NHS that is fit for the future. However, we are clear that independent sector providers have a role to play in supporting the NHS as trusted partners to recover elective services.

Photo of Blake Stephenson Blake Stephenson Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire

I welcome all efforts to increase the number of GPs throughout England. Residents in new and growing towns such as Wixams in Mid Bedfordshire need a GP surgery. My local councils have been told that they need to put up the capital to deliver one, causing concern about cash flow and borrowing costs. Will the Minister meet me to discuss a new capital investment programme to ensure that residents in new towns such as Wixams do not have to wait for developer contributions to get the services they need?

Photo of Karin Smyth Karin Smyth Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As Lord Darzi outlined, capital development in the NHS is shocking, with a backlog of £11 billion in maintenance. I would be happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss his problem.

Photo of Ruth Jones Ruth Jones Chair, Welsh Affairs Committee, Chair, Welsh Affairs Committee

Alan Petersen is a senior pharmacist in my constituency. He tells me that pharmacies have experienced high volatility in drugs pricing and big increases in bills in recent years. At the same time, they are expected to do far more in direct consultation with the public. Given the UK Government’s jurisdiction over funding dispensing services in England and Wales, when do they plan to review pharmacy funding?

Photo of Stephen Kinnock Stephen Kinnock Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Obviously, health is a devolved matter and funding for pharmacies in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. Nevertheless, I pay tribute to the Welsh Government for securing a deal with pharmacies in Wales in line with DDRB—the review body on doctors’ and dentists’ remuneration—pay recommendations. I know that arrangements in England affect matters in Wales and I am working as a matter of urgency to conclude the consultation on the community pharmacy contractual framework.

Photo of Bob Blackman Bob Blackman Chair, Backbench Business Committee, Chair, Backbench Business Committee

To correct the Secretary of State, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill went through its Committee stage in the previous Parliament, with several amendments proposed across the Chamber, which the then Minister, Andrea Leadsom, agreed to take away and bring back. Will he incorporate those amendments so that we strengthen the Bill?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Whatever stage the Bill got to, it was not completed, was it? We will bring back a tobacco and vapes Bill that is stronger than the Conservatives’ and I look forward to seeing if they support it.

Photo of Rebecca Long-Bailey Rebecca Long-Bailey Labour, Salford

Ingleside, the only birthing centre in the city of Salford, was temporarily closed in 2022 amid an acute midwifery staffing deficit across Greater Manchester. Will the Minister be kind enough to meet me to discuss what he can do to ensure that that unit reopens safely as soon as possible?

Photo of Karin Smyth Karin Smyth Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My hon. Friend is right to raise the crisis of midwifery services. We have already had debates in Westminster Hall about this, and the issue affects the entire country. It is a priority for this Government, and I am of course happy to meet her to discuss her constituency issue.

Photo of Olly Glover Olly Glover Liberal Democrat, Didcot and Wantage

Lord Darzi’s report highlighted the importance of local focus and alignment to co-ordinating local services and improving health, contributing to reduced hospital admissions. In Oxfordshire, the integrated care board is proposing to remove Oxfordshire’s dedicated place director. Will the Secretary of State give his support to place- based roles to maintain local authority alignment, as recommended in Lord Darzi’s report?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

I absolutely take the point the hon. Gentleman is making about the importance of place-based leadership. That is why one thing we will be looking to do, as part of the 10-year plan process, is to clarify roles and responsibilities in different parts of the system to ensure that we have better strategic place-based leadership.

Photo of Gareth Snell Gareth Snell Labour/Co-operative, Stoke-on-Trent Central

The Royal Stoke hospital is leading the way when it comes to treatment for stroke patients, but as with so many illnesses, prevention is better than cure. Can the Minister set out what this Government are doing to minimise the number of people affected by these life-altering events?

Photo of Andrew Gwynne Andrew Gwynne The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

I agree with my hon. Friend, which is why we have set a goal for fewer lives being lost to cardiovascular disease. We will make it easier for people to have checks in the comfort of their own homes through, for example, the digital NHS health check and the new workplace trials.

Photo of Jerome Mayhew Jerome Mayhew Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Business and Trade)

Labour’s cut to the winter fuel payment will cause 262,000 cold pensioners to seek NHS treatment, according to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition. Do the Government agree with those figures, and if not, what are their own estimates?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The decision on the winter fuel allowance is not one that the Government took lightly, but we inherited a £22 billion hole in the nation’s finances. We continue to stand behind vulnerable households by increasing the state pension with the triple lock, delivering the warm home discount and extending the household support fund to support the most vulnerable pensioners.

Photo of Rachael Maskell Rachael Maskell Labour/Co-operative, York Central

Prevention is the most important intervention to improve health outcomes, yet since 2015 the public health grant has fallen in value by 25%, and by 30% in York. Will the Minister say what he is doing to restore the value of the public health grant?

Photo of Andrew Gwynne Andrew Gwynne The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

My hon. Friend is incredibly knowledgeable about public health matters both at national and local level. Lord Darzi’s investigation into the NHS set out the impact of past reductions in local government public health funding. We will confirm public health grant allocations for the next financial year as part of the forthcoming spending review, but the points she made have been made loudly and clearly.

Photo of Esther McVey Esther McVey Conservative, Tatton

Can the Secretary of State update the House on the status of Alan Milburn? Does he still attend meetings in the Department and have access to confidential information? Does he now have an official role in the Department? Does he still have private sector interests in the healthcare sector?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The right hon. Alan Milburn is alive, he is safe and we are treating him well.

Photo of Mary Foy Mary Foy Labour, City of Durham

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I stand here today as someone who was diagnosed, treated and cured of breast cancer this year by the amazing staff in the north-east, but not enough women are taking up their breast screening appointments. Will the Minister do more to raise awareness of, and access to, breast screening appointments, and may I urge all women to check themselves regularly?

Photo of Andrew Gwynne Andrew Gwynne The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her work in this area and for setting out eloquently her own personal experiences. Of course this Government will do more to raise awareness and enable more women to access breast screening services.

Photo of Simon Hoare Simon Hoare Chair, Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Chair, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Chair, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

A significant impediment to improving adult social care is the split of budget and responsibility and policy between the Secretary of State’s Department and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Will he and colleagues work to remove that hurdle, to have better outcomes more cost-effectively delivered to improve the lives of all our constituents?

Photo of Wes Streeting Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The hon. Gentleman is right to raise that risk. I assure him and the House that I and the Deputy Prime Minister, herself a former care worker, are working in lockstep to align strategy, policy and delivery.