Patient Waiting Times

Karl Turner, the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull East, asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, to assess the adequacy of patient waiting times. Streeting acknowledged that waiting times are wholly inadequate, blaming the previous Conservative government for taking a "golden inheritance" of the shortest waiting times and highest patient satisfaction and leaving behind the "worst crisis in the NHS's history." In response, Turner praised his local GP, Dr. Islam, for going above and beyond, but noted that GPs are troubled by the long wait times patients face. He highlighted the disparity in GP numbers between different areas, with Kingston upon Thames having one GP per 1,800 patients, while in Kingston upon Hull, the ratio is more than double. Streeting thanked Turner's GP and acknowledged the need for more GPs, stating that the government had found nearly £100 million to employ 1,000 more GPs by the end of the financial year. Priti Patel, the Conservative MP for Witham, suggested that the recruitment and retention of more GPs could help reduce patient waiting times, and she welcomed the work of the Anglia Ruskin medical school in Essex. Streeting agreed, stating that the government is committed to doubling the number of medical school places, which would create opportunities for local medical schools. Abtisam Mohamed, the Labour MP for Sheffield Central, welcomed the news of recruiting more GPs and asked Streeting to commit to investing in primary care services and moving towards a focus on neighborhood health services. Streeting expressed his commitment to increasing primary care's share of the NHS budget and building the kind of neighborhood health service described by Mohamed. Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, who chairs the Select Committee, suggested that the government should update the technical annex of Lord Darzi's report, which provides a baseline of 330 analyses, on an annual basis. Streeting agreed, stating his commitment to transparency and keeping the dataset updated. Dr. Ben Spencer, the Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, raised the issue of smoking prevention, noting that 280 children under the age of 16 take up smoking in England each day during Streeting's first 100 days in office. He questioned why the government had not yet reintroduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Streeting responded by challenging the previous Conservative government's record on the issue and stating that the smoking bill will be back, stronger than before. Finally, Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, shared the case of her constituent, Mel Lycett, who has terminal cancer and experienced significant delays in her diagnosis and treatment. Morgan asked Streeting to reassure her that he is addressing the "terrible legacy" left behind by the Conservative government and ensuring that cancer patients are treated in a timely manner. Streeting acknowledged the case as one of "countless stories" of people whose lives might have been saved had the NHS been there for them when they needed it. He assured Morgan that the government will work tirelessly through a national cancer plan to deliver the cancer waiting time standards that were met under the previous Labour government.