Accident and Emergency Departments Debate

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Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Accident and Emergency Departments

Andy Sawford Excerpts
Tuesday 10th September 2013

(10 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jeremy Hunt Portrait Mr Hunt
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Absolutely. I have visited Airedale hospital, which I think is excellent. It is one of the few hospitals in the country where the A and E department has access to GP records, which means it can give patients a much better service. It also has fantastically innovative ways of looking after the frail elderly in the community. I think that some of the smaller rural hospitals are blazing a trail when it comes to the changes we need to make elsewhere.

Andy Sawford Portrait Andy Sawford (Corby) (Lab/Co-op)
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Kettering general hospital’s A and E department was built for 20,000 people a year but is now trying to meet the needs of 80,000 people. The money announced today is of course welcome, but I ask the Secretary of State to look seriously at our bid—a joint bid from neighbouring MPs too—for capital investment in Kettering’s A and E.

Jeremy Hunt Portrait Mr Hunt
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I will of course look at that closely. I have been to Kettering hospital and recognise that it is very busy and that people there are working very hard, but I think that the staff are doing a fantastic job.