Resident Doctors: Industrial Action

Baroness Wheatcroft Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I can only agree wholeheartedly with the noble Baroness about what a difference it would make. It was actually included in the comprehensive offer that we made to the BMA on 8 December. Our first point was about introducing emergency legislation, which would—exactly as the noble Baroness asks for—prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have significant experience of working in the NHS for speciality training posts. At the risk of repeating myself, I can do no more than to say that the BMA has rejected that, as part of the offer, and so it will not go ahead. Had the BMA accepted it, we would have been absolutely willing and able to introduce that emergency legislation. Our job will be to consider the next steps, now that we have had confirmation of the rejection of the very point that the noble Baroness rightly emphasised.

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)]

My Lords, has not the time come for the BMA to reject the way the resident doctors committee is behaving? I do not believe that the NHS I know would be supportive of its actions.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am sure that the BMA will hear what your Lordships’ House has said today and, in particular, the point made by the noble Baroness. Perhaps I could conclude this important debate by referring to a YouGov poll which was conducted on 12 December. It found that only 33% of the public support strikes in this area and that 58% of the public oppose strikes. The public have made their voice clear, as has your Lordships’ House, for which I am grateful.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Baroness Wheatcroft Excerpts

Committee stage
Friday 12th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lawlor (Con)]

These things can happen, but we should have a process or an alternative mechanism. I am not going to deal with exceptional cases. My GP is still in situ, and I can see my GP when I want to; other practices could aim to do the same thing. We have very great demands on the practice in Cambridge, with many students registering.

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)]

Can the noble Baroness tell the Committee whether she actually listened to what the GP in our midst said about how practices work?

[Baroness Lawlor (Con)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her question, but I would like to press on. There are other GPs who want to see the same patients; they want to build up the patient relationship over time because they say it makes for better diagnosis, care and treatment for their patients. We should not put up with the worst-case scenarios simply because it does not happen or because we think a multi-doctor practice works well. It may work well in some cases, but there is no replacement for knowledge of a patient over time.

The letter gives the multidisciplinary panel an assessment of the patient’s illness and state of mind by someone who knows them. If anything raises suspicion that there has been pressure or that the patient is not in a state of mind to make the decision, the panel can investigate further. Moreover, unlike the other matters and activities in the process, the letter is not a matter of ticking boxes. The demand is for something that doctors are used to doing; to write a coherent letter about one of their patients is something that requires thought and careful concern for the individual case. It is standard practice in referring a patient to a consultant for specialist care where there are letters passed to and from. Doctors and consultants write letters.

If the Bill is to have real safeguards in the form of coherent and analytical evidence from a doctor who has known a patient over time, such amendments are needed. I ask the sponsor of the Bill to require it.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Baroness Wheatcroft Excerpts

Committee stage
Friday 21st November 2025 Lords Chamber

I am sure that it is possible to draw up measures in this legislation and more broadly to ensure that we absolutely minimise the risk of those who are already victims becoming victims of an even greater crime. I hope that the sponsor of the Bill can reassure us that those measures will be in place.

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)]

The point that the noble Lord has just made—that people are committing suicide because they are in abusive relationships—is absolutely dreadful. But would he accept that there is more likelihood of their death being prevented under this Bill?

[Lord Gove (Con)]

I profoundly disagree with the noble Baroness on that, but I am grateful to her for making that point, and I am more grateful still to the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, for raising this issue. It is precisely the nature of coercive and controlling behaviour within domestic settings, as part of domestic violence and abuse, that needs to be addressed in this legislation. I have an open mind as to how it might be, but it must be.

Pharmacy Opening Hours

Baroness Wheatcroft Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I feel that the most constructive response I can give to the noble Lord is the response of the Secretary of State, who has made it quite clear in Parliament that discussions will conclude shortly and an announcement will be made in the normal way. That will be via an open letter to contractors, which will be published on GOV.UK. I hope the noble Lord will understand that I cannot say more until our engagement with Community Pharmacy England, the representative body, comes to a conclusion. I can add for the benefit of noble Lords that NHS England commissioned an independent economic analysis of the cost of providing pharmaceutical services. It has informed the consultation with the sector and will be published in due course.

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)]

My Lords, is the Minister concerned that GPs’ tendency very easily and readily to sign repeat prescriptions increases the demand on pharmaceutical services? Does she agree that there should be a much more rigorous review of repeat prescriptions on a regular basis?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I appreciate the noble Baroness’s views. Indeed, community pharmacies in England are dispensing around 1.1 billion NHS medicines with a value of over £10 billion each year. Prescribing is of course a clinical decision. We are nevertheless keeping an eye on the situation, of course. What matters is that people seek help, and I am very glad to say that pharmacies are playing an increasing role in the availability of assistance, so people do not always have to go to GPs, particularly for some of the more common conditions.