Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Keeley Excerpts

Tuesday 10th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jeremy Hunt]

I can confirm that. What my hon. Friend said was profoundly important. There is not an automatic link between size and quality. We know that for certain types of treatment, there is huge benefit in centralising services, as has happened for stroke services in London, but other services can be delivered extremely well at smaller units, and we will continue to support those.

[Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South) (Lab)]

The Minister has just talked rather piously about spending NHS money on front-line services, but the NHS is spending £300,000 on a university secondment for a staff member who has left. How does he justify that sort of abuse?

[Mr Hunt]

I just point out to the hon. Lady that in the Queen’s Speech we made it clear that we are cracking down on inappropriate payments to people who leave the NHS, many of which are the result of contracts set up by her Government.