NHS Urgent and Emergency Care

Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, asked the Minister for Secondary Care, Karin Smyth, about the effectiveness of NHS urgent and emergency care services. The Minister acknowledged the recent independent report by Lord Darzi, which highlighted the struggles faced by these services, with one in 10 patients spending over 12 hours in A&E. The Minister stated that the government is committed to returning to the service standards that patients expect through their 10-year plan to reform the health service. In a follow-up, Tapp raised the issue of the loss of blood testing provision at the Victoria hospital in Deal, which was later agreed to be reinstated but has since stalled in the tendering process. The Minister commended Tapp for championing this issue on behalf of his constituents and stated that she would be happy to meet with him to discuss it further, as commissioning decisions are a matter for the local integrated care board. Andrew George, the Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, then intervened, expressing concern about the long queues of ambulances outside Treliske hospital and the impact on patient expectations. He suggested that the Minister look into the potential for urgent treatment centres to take pressure away from emergency departments, such as the one in West Cornwall hospital in Penzance, which he believes should be re-established on a 24/7 basis. The Minister acknowledged the valuable point made by George and stated that it is a matter for the local integrated care board to determine the best model, particularly in rural areas, to reduce the pressure on frontline A&E services. Finally, Paula Barker, the Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, highlighted the importance of intermediate care for people facing homelessness, which can reduce rough sleeping by around 70% and play a significant role in relieving pressure on hospitals. Barker noted that the current provision is a "postcode lottery" and asked how the government can embed the NICE approach in every integrated care system across England. The Minister agreed that this is an issue that is often overlooked and stated that the government would like to see the good examples across the country embedded as part of their overall goal of reducing homelessness and supporting the front end of the health service.