Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Labour MP for Bristol South
@karinsmythmp.bsky.social @karinsmyth Facebook UK Parliament Profile
We have genuinely had a wide-ranging and thoughtful debate, and I want to try to address all the points that have been raised. I think there is broad agreement across the House on the goals that we are seeking to achieve with the Bill: safer care, better outcomes and a stronger voice for patients. Every patient deserves safe and high-quality care, every community deserves to have its voice...
It will not be a surprise to the hon. Gentleman that I do not agree with his proposition, although I commend the work that many people have done in Healthwatch. We want to work with people in the other place to make sure that this is the right way forward. I am sorry that we do not have more time to debate HSSIB, because it requires more discussion, although we had a good debate in Committee....
I apologise, but I am going to press on. There is a lot to get through. We are committed to tackling health inequalities wherever they arise. There are strong duties on both ICBs and the Secretary of State to tackle these inequalities, and we remain firmly committed to doing so. We continue to drive forward improvement plans including the national cancer plan and the mental health strategy,...
I am going to press on a little bit, if I may. I remind the House that we are doing this within the existing legal structures, and that our approach is not to put in place additional duties and layers of detail and specificity in primary legislation. I think we should avoid the temptation to create separate statutory obligations for each condition or patient group, particularly in an age...
I thank my hon. Friend for her best wishes and commend the work that she and many other Members are doing directly with their trusts to understand the impact of the work that we are doing to bring down those waiting lists and improve access for patients. As I have said, corridor care is a sign of systemic failure in the system and is unacceptable. I think we have all witnessed it in our local...
I will carry on. As the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham knows well, provisions are already in place to appropriately control access to puberty-suppressing hormones for children and young people presenting with gender incongruence or dysphoria. Children and young people with gender incongruence deserve evidence-based care. The Cass review recommended a clinical trial to provide...
Absolutely, and I am committed to working with my hon. Friend and many other hon. Members across the House. I was pleased to meet my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Withington (Jeff Smith) to discuss his amendments concerning medicines. I hope that I reassured him—from his speech, I think that I did—that the Government do support well-designed research into innovative treatments...
I am so sorry; I will to talk to my hon. Friend later. The debate has been wide ranging. If there are things that I have missed, I commit to getting back to hon. Members. I know that my noble Friend Baroness Merron is committed to working co-operatively with all Members as the Bill proceeds through the other House. Debate interrupted (Programme Order, 7 September). The Deputy Speaker put...
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July to Question 17075. The Department remains focused on the seven priority reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) replacement schemes as soon as possible through the New Hospital Programme, including Frimley Park Hospital. While work at RAAC-affected sites has so far ensured facilities can operate safely beyond 2030, there is still...
I refer the Hon. Member to the final report of the Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner, which examined these matters in detail and was published by HM Treasury on 9 December 2025, and which is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/693807447a605 b2d61cd8f55/E03505750_HMT_CP_1462_Web_Accessible.pdf
The NHS Business Services Authority is taking forward work to validate the compliance issues identified at the NHS Pension Scheme. An independent audit carried out by the Government Actuary’s Department will confirm the extent of the member impact. Based on current assessments, approximately 95% of the NHS Pension Scheme's members are expected to be unaffected. Any member that is affected...
The NHS Business Services Authority is taking forward work to validate the compliance issues identified at the NHS Pension Scheme. An independent audit carried out by the Government Actuary’s Department will confirm the extent of the member impact. Based on current assessments, approximately 95% of the NHS Pension Scheme's members are expected to be unaffected. Any member that is affected...
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July to Question 17075. The Department remains focused on the seven priority reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) replacement schemes as soon as possible through the New Hospital Programme, including Frimley Park Hospital. While work at RAAC-affected sites has so far ensured facilities can operate safely beyond 2030, there is still...
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July to Question 17075. The Department remains focused on the seven priority reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) replacement schemes as soon as possible through the New Hospital Programme, including Frimley Park Hospital. While work at RAAC-affected sites has so far ensured facilities can operate safely beyond 2030, there is still...
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July to Question 17075. The Department remains focused on the seven priority reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) replacement schemes as soon as possible through the New Hospital Programme, including Frimley Park Hospital. While work at RAAC-affected sites has so far ensured facilities can operate safely beyond 2030, there is still...
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 July to Question 17075. The Department remains focused on the seven priority reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) replacement schemes as soon as possible through the New Hospital Programme, including Frimley Park Hospital. While work at RAAC-affected sites has so far ensured facilities can operate safely beyond 2030, there is still...
