Health and Social Care Update

Alison McGovern Excerpts

Thursday 22nd September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Dr Coffey]

I thank my right hon. Friend, and I agree with her that access to GPs is important. At present, we only publish data at the local NHS level—the integrated care board level—which is why I want to go further in relation to general practices. I know that the Minister responsible for primary care, my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester (Will Quince), wants to try to make it easier for people to change general practices. Of course, where people already have choice that may be possible now, but, understandably, I want to ensure that that fairly basic standard of provision for patients is a high priority across the country.

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

The statement from the new Secretary of State contained three paragraphs on care but not a word about care workers’ pay. I am gobsmacked, Madam Deputy Speaker. I wonder whether the Secretary of State has read the report produced by the Government’s own Migration Advisory Committee, which states:

“Persistent underfunding of the care sector…underlies almost all the workforce problems in social care…Higher pay is a prerequisite to attract and retain social care workers”.

Will she come back to the House with a workforce plan for care workers that will finally give them a decent pay packet?

[Dr Coffey]

As the hon. Lady will know, people access care, or work in the care industry, in different ways. That is why I am keen to continue the national recruitment programme, working with the Department for Work and Pensions. As for the £500 million that I have announced today, the local NHS, working with local trusts and local councils, will clearly be in a better position to decide, in a more differentiated fashion, on the best way of spending that money through not just buying packages but support for the sector. Let me also remind the hon. Lady that since last year we have changed the universal credit taper rate so that people keep much more of the benefits they may receive. However, I am also conscious of the need for us to continue to try and encourage people to come into the care sector, and that is a joint endeavour.