Oral Answers to Questions

The debate covered a range of topics related to the health and social care sector in the UK. Karin Smyth (Minister for Secondary Care) responded to tabled questions on health outcomes in the East Midlands. She acknowledged the critical condition of the health service across the country, including in the East Midlands, where healthy life expectancy has declined in the past decade. She committed to cutting waiting times and delivering long-term reform for the NHS. The Minister also discussed the importance of diagnostics, the challenges facing urgent and emergency care services, and the role of district hospitals in meeting local community needs. In the topical questions section, the debate covered a variety of issues. The Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, discussed the review of the new hospital programme, particularly in relation to the proposed redevelopment of Whipps Cross hospital. He committed to delivering a credible and funded programme, in contrast to the previous government's "work of fiction." The Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock, addressed questions on adult social care reform, including the introduction of a fair pay agreement for care professionals. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Andrew Gwynne, responded to questions on the adequacy of treatment for post-sepsis syndrome, the assessment of patient waiting times, and the steps being taken to improve access to primary care services and NHS mental health services. The debate also saw contributions from opposition MPs, including the shadow Secretary of State, Victoria Atkins (Louth and Horncastle, Con), who questioned the Secretary of State's delivery of his promised policies. The Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson, Helen Morgan (North Shropshire, LD), raised concerns about the state of NHS dentistry, while other Labour MPs, such as Johanna Baxter (Paisley and Renfrewshire South, Lab) and Rachael Maskell (York Central, Lab/Co-op), highlighted issues related to men's health and the importance of public health funding, respectively.