Oral Answers to Questions

Lindsay Hoyle Excerpts

Tuesday 25th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

I certainly can, and I am sorry that my hon. Friend’s constituent was let down. Everyone who needs a same-day appointment should be able to book one, and that is what we are working towards. As she says, we are recruiting more GPs. We are also investing £102 million to create additional space for appointments, including in 21 GP practices in my hon. Friend’s local integrated care board system. Nowhere is the state of the NHS, and the crumbling legacy we inherited, more evident than in the NHS estate, and that is why I am proud that in her Budget, the Chancellor will be setting out plans to roll out a new generation of neighbourhood health centres to deal with the crumbling NHS we inherited and to build an NHS that is fit for the future.

[Mr Speaker]

Can’t be possible—we have not had the Budget yet!

[Dr Kieran Mullan (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)]

There are a number of exciting opportunities for extended GP premises in my constituency—in places like Martins Oak in Battle, Little Common and Old Town, and Oldwood in Robertsbridge. One major challenge is the rates that the NHS district valuer is willing to offer for construction sites; they have just not kept up with the inflation we have seen across all sectors of construction. I did have a meeting with the Minister for Care and it was helpful to start those discussions, but we have not made the progress that we need to. Can we have a further meeting, and will the Secretary of State outline what he will do to ensure that district valuers are offering rates that can allow construction to go ahead?

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[Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)]

Mount Vernon hospital is a cancer specialist hospital in north-west London. Following the recent closure of the Mount Vernon urgent care centre and the delay to the new Watford general hospital until at least 2032, both of which I have previously raised in the Chamber, uncertainty regarding the future of Hemel Hempstead hospital now looks set to further restrict access to vital healthcare services for my constituents. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that my constituents receive the adequate access to healthcare that they deserve?

[Mr Speaker]

Presumably at this particular hospital.

[Mr Mohindra]

Mount Vernon is next door.

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[Wes Streeting]

Industrial action sets back our progress on waiting lists, but frankly, the Conservatives presided over an absolute mess—not just over the course of 14 years, when waiting lists rose every single year during the Conservatives’ time in power, but in their catastrophic mishandling of industrial relations. We came in, and we settled with the British Medical Association—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Mr Fox, you were the last voice I heard. I want to hear what the Secretary of State has to say. If you do not want to, you can go and get a cup of tea.

[Wes Streeting]

We came in, and we settled with the resident doctors with a 28.9% pay rise. It should be clear to them from the questions that Opposition Members have asked and the extent to which they have opposed a pay rise for not just resident doctors but NHS staff more generally that there is not a more pro-NHS, pro-doctor Health Secretary or Government waiting in the wings. It is either the Conservative party, which lumbered the NHS in this crisis in the first place, or the Reform party, which does not believe in the NHS at all.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Dr Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)]

I would first like to say I am sorry that the Minister for Public Health and Prevention is unwell and convey to her the best wishes of the Opposition.

I would like the Secretary of State to consider a patient who has waited a year for a procedure and then, after three waiting list validation calls, finally sees the consultant to check that the procedure is still necessary. If the consultant agrees that it is, do the Government figures show that patient as waiting for a year or a much shorter period?

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[Karin Smyth]

Again, what the hon. Gentleman says is really quite astonishing: like everybody else, he knows that no money was allocated by his Government to the new hospital programme beyond last March. The Conservatives know that and they need to start being honest with their constituents—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Dr Mullan, I want you to set a better example—I expect better from you.

[Karin Smyth]

I think that the Conservatives’ constituents know exactly what their promises were built on: sand. That is why there are very few Conservative Members in the House and a lot of Members on the Labour Benches. We took hold of the programme and put it on a sustainable and credible footing, and we will deliver it.

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[Karin Smyth]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point about working across Government with GB Energy to support local health systems in reducing health costs. That is an important part of our efficiency drive. He is a strong advocate for a local facility at Maghull, and we are absolutely committed to working with the ICB so that it develops the most efficient services where people are actually located, rather than expecting them to go to and fro and get bounced around the health system. I hope he can see further progress on that issue.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) (Con)]

When it comes to hospital provision, the Conservatives believe that we should continue to use private providers to improve access and reduce waiting times. We believe the Government should not let spare capacity go to waste on ideological grounds; we should continue to make use of private-sector capacity to treat NHS patients where available. Does the Minister agree?

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

As it is a Norfolk question, I call James Wild.

[James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

The Minister told the Health and Social Care Committee that the spending envelope for dentistry would be confirmed by the end of the summer at the latest. Is the Office for Students still waiting for a ministerial direction to launch that competition for new places, so that UEA can bid along with others and so that we can get training places in Norfolk for the first time?

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[Wes Streeting]

I thank my hon. Friend for describing Rachel’s experience. We have introduced Jess’s rule and we are rolling out Martha’s rule, so that, whether in primary or acute care, patients’ voices will be heard and they will be given the power to ensure that health professionals are listening and responding appropriately. However, my hon. Friend is right to acknowledge that much of this arises from medical misogyny. It is not just a case of changing rules and regulations; it is a case of changing culture and practice, so that women are not just seen but heard and listened to. That is a fundamental problem that we determined to address—and of course I should be delighted to meet Rachel to hear about her experience at first hand.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee.

[Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon) (LD)]

Diethylstilbestrol, or DES, was prescribed to women until the 1980s to treat miscarriage. Those who took it were themselves at greater risk of breast cancer, and their daughters have a higher risk of rare cervical cancers. It is estimated that a whopping 300,000 women have been affected. Two weeks ago the Secretary of State made an apology to victims, but they rightly want more than “sorry”, and they have pointed out that the current screening regime is insufficient. Will the Secretary of State meet me, and campaigners and victims, in order to understand how this was allowed to happen, who will be held accountable, and how those women can go about securing compensation for this egregious scandal?

[Wes Streeting]

I thank the Chair of the Select Committee for raising that extremely serious issue. I am glad that she has drawn it to the House’s attention. I have apologised, on behalf of the state, for the failure that occurred and for the harm that has arisen as a result. My hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth West (Jessica Toale) has been campaigning diligently, and the DES Justice UK campaigners have done a magnificent job in raising public awareness. I am always delighted to meet the Chair of the Select Committee because I know which side my bread is buttered on, but I should be particularly delighted to meet her to discuss this specific issue.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Helen Morgan (North Shropshire) (LD)]

The impact of health inequalities on women’s health are starkest when it comes to maternity care, with many NHS trusts requiring improvement. Black and Asian women, and those from the most deprived communities, are far more likely to suffer the worst outcomes or even lose their babies. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives have vocally opposed the removal of the ringfence from the service delivery fund, saying that funding provided to drive change following the Ockenden review has disappeared at the stroke of a pen. Will the Secretary of State commit himself to reinstating that ringfence, and to ensuring that all the immediate and essential actions arising from that review of the failings at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust are taken as soon as possible?

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[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)]

Obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, hits the poorest hardest, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems and costs the NHS billions, so I can announce to the House that we are expanding the soft drinks industry levy to include bottles and cartons of milkshakes, flavoured milk and milk substitute drinks. [Interruption.] We are also reducing the threshold to 4.5 grams of sugar per 100 ml. This Government will not look away as children get unhealthier and our political opponents urge us to leave them behind.

[Mr Speaker]

The only thing I will say is that at least we are hearing it first in this House and not on Sky.

[Sarah Olney]

I congratulate the Secretary of State and the Department of Health and Social Care on the launch last week of the men’s health strategy. My constituent Philip Pirie, who sadly lost his son to suicide, has been calling on the Government to launch a public health campaign to reduce the stigma of suicide. Nearly 75% of those who lose their lives to suicide have not been in contact with mental health services, and that is why we need to reach out. Will the Secretary of State meet me and my constituent to discuss such a campaign?

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[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

I thank my hon. Friend, who is a tireless campaigner on this issue. We want to see more dentists in Burton and Uttoxeter, and across the country, which is why we are offering dentists £20,000 to work in underserved areas. We are making it a requirement for new dentists to practice in the NHS through our tie-in policy. We are also making additional urgent appointments available across the country, including for my hon. Friend’s constituents in Burton and Uttoxeter.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State, the birthday boy!

[Stuart Andrew (Daventry) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I ask the Secretary of State why he has not sorted out the strikes and disputes?

[Wes Streeting]

I wish the shadow Health Secretary a very happy birthday—21 again! It is good to see him here.

We continue to hold the door open to the British Medical Association. If it wants to engage constructively, we are ready and willing. What we will not do is be held to ransom. What we cannot afford to do is pay more than we already have. What we are able and willing to do is go further to improve their career progression and job prospects, and to work with them to rebuild the NHS, which the Conservative party broke.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I have a lot of topical questions to get through.

[Stuart Andrew]

But, Mr Speaker:

“The power to stop these strikes is in the Government’s hands.”—[Official Report, 6 February 2023; Vol. 727, c. 660.]

“They need to sit down and negotiate to end the strikes, but Ministers are too busy briefing against each other.” Those are not my words, but the Secretary of State’s words when he was standing here on the Opposition side. He said it was so simple. The Secretary of State is embroiled in a leadership battle that is taking over the need to focus on averting walkouts, and the Employment Rights Bill reduces voting thresholds on strikes and scrapping minimum service levels. Does the Secretary of State accept that things are only going to get worse as a result of the Bill? And in his words, does he agree that patients have suffered enough?

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[Stephen Kinnock]

My hon. Friend raises an important point, and I would be more than happy to meet her to discuss it, because I think the complexity of what she raises needs some detail.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Helen Morgan (North Shropshire) (LD)]

Every MP will be aware of the huge value that unpaid carers add to the NHS, taking the pressure off paid carers while often under intolerable pressure themselves. We were therefore really pleased to hear the news this morning that thousands of unpaid carers will have their cases reviewed, after they had been left with huge debts as a result of a failure of Government over a long period of time. However, it has been reported that debts will continue to accrue and overpayments will continue to be pursued for as long as a year from now. Given his responsibility to unpaid carers, will the Secretary of State raise the issue with colleagues, urging them to suspend repayments until the recommendations are enforced, and ensure that those people propping up the care system are treated fairly from today, not from in a year’s time?

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[Dr Ahmed]

While the NHS in Scotland has no app and no plans for a national roll-out, the NHS in England has had an app since 2019, with 71 million logins in October 2025. Three in four people now have the app in their pockets and it has more subscribers in England than Netflix. You may ask, Mr Speaker, why NHS Scotland does not have an app? The answer comes in a freedom of information request by the champion journalist Simon Johnson: when asked about some of the drawbacks of applying the NHS England app in Scotland, they said:

“political optics of adopting an English solution”.

It is time for Analogue John to move over and let Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie finally drag the Scottish NHS into the 21st—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We are on topical questions. The Prime Minister is in the Chamber. If you do not want Members to get in, please tell me; it would be easier.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

T7. In Somerset, only 41% of children have seen an NHS dentist in the past two years, which is well below the national average. Ben from Somerton is a single parent of four children. He lives in an NHS dental desert and worries about the health of his children’s teeth. There is no way he can pay for private dental care, as he can barely afford to pay for his children’s food. Ahead of the Budget tomorrow, can the Minister confirm what action he is taking?

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[Stuart Andrew]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know that you have been incensed by the unprecedented briefings we have seen by the Government in the run-up to the Budget. It beggars belief that, despite your clear statements on this issue, they have done it again today by announcing that the Chancellor will announce £300 million for NHS tech in her Budget tomorrow—not through a briefing to journalists but with an article on the gov.uk website. This happened just today, after a Minister stood at the Dispatch Box yesterday and said:

“I can assure the hon. Member, given the respect that the Government pay to this House and to their obligations in it, that if there is an important policy announcement to be made, it will be made to this House.”—[Official Report, 24 November 2025; Vol. 776, c. 32.]

Given that that was clearly not the case in this instance, despite your statements, can you advise us as to what we as Members of this House can do?

[Mr Speaker]

It is frustrating for me and all Back Benchers, because everything should be heard here in the Chamber first. The Budget should be sacrosanct; it should be heard only on Budget day. What I would say is that it makes a change for Budget speculation to at least come to the Chamber, as that is quite out of the ordinary at the moment.

I thank the right hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. As I have said on a number of occasions in recent weeks, the Government’s own ministerial code states that major announcements should be made in the House in the first instance, not in the media. We had an urgent question yesterday on this issue. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has been conducting an inquiry into ministerial statements and the ministerial code. I look forward to seeing its report earlier rather than later. I would also point out that the country expects the Budget to come out on Budget day. It does nothing for the City and it does nothing for how people view this Chamber if it does not. We will leave it there.