Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has given to opening a unit in the UK for surgical emergencies from Gaza.

In October 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care helped the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to arrange 21 tonnes of vital, life-saving Government humanitarian aid for displaced civilians in Gaza. Essential supplies included 76,800 surplus trauma kits, 1,350 water filters, and 2,560 solar lights. The Government recently announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including additional funding for UK-Med and the World Health Organization in Egypt.

The Department is not currently considering opening a unit dedicated to surgical emergencies from Gaza, however we continue to urge the Israeli Government to allow and facilitate the safe, rapid, and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid and ensure that basic services are provided for all Gazan civilians.