Oral Answers to Questions

Max Wilkinson Excerpts

Wednesday 28th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Seema Malhotra]

As I have highlighted, we are continuing to move forward with our plans. We published the call for evidence and are analysing the responses. We will update the House on our plans soon.

[Max Wilkinson (Cheltenham) (LD)]

4. What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to help tackle health inequalities affecting women.

[Calum Miller (Bicester and Woodstock) (LD)]

12. What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to help tackle health inequalities affecting women.

[The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)]

We are committed through our 10-year health plan to prioritising women’s health as we build an NHS that is fit for the future. That includes renewing the women’s health strategy, investing in research that addresses health inequalities and continuing to build on vital progress in women’s health.

[Max Wilkinson]

I am grateful to the Health Minister for coming to the House today. She is aware of the case of Cheltenham general hospital and the Aveta birth centre, which four years ago under the previous Government was closed temporarily to labour and births. There is a national rapid review, which Gloucestershire is subject to, and a local service review. The trust tells me that it cannot make any decisions on reopening for labour and births until those two reviews have completed, and even then there is no timescale for giving women in my constituency what they need: to be able to give birth in Cheltenham when they need to. Will the Minister have a word with those in charge of the reviews and the local trust to try to move things along and get us the answer that we need?

[Karin Smyth]

The hon. Member and I discussed this issue before he brought a debate on it to Westminster Hall, and I know that he has campaigned hard on it for local women. He raises an excellent point: we must ensure that what is happening on the ground with regard to maternity and the changes that people are proposing line up adequately with the national task. He has made that point very clearly today, and I will make sure that the local system is aware of it.