General Medical Council: Internal Guidance

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Excerpts

Tuesday 17th October 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Markham (Con)]

I am quite happy, as mentioned previously, to talk to the GMC about its use of language, the importance of the use of correct language and the clear feelings of all of us in the House today about women who are women and mothers, and men who are male and fathers. I will leave it to the GMC as to how it deals with staff matters, but I will be very clear on medical issues and the belief of all of us here in this House.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, can the Minister tell the House how many men there are on the GMC and how many women?

Nursing: Recruitment

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Excerpts

Wednesday 26th October 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Markham (Con)]

There is a long-term workforce strategy plan being put together, as I think we know, and that builds on the NHS people plan of 2020, which has seen this increase in numbers. I will find out where we are with that, and the details behind that, and write to my noble friend.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, what advice would the Minister give to a senior staff nurse, working in theatre, and at the top of her pay band, alongside agency nurses who are paid two to three times as much as she is for a 10-hour shift? Should she leave the NHS and become an agency nurse herself, or should she vote to strike, as she may well be asked to by her union?

[Lord Markham (Con)]

I would hope and trust that such a respected person would see this position as the vocation that it is and the support that they give. We accept that there are some agency workers being used in this space, because obviously, in terms of safety, we need to make sure we cover that number of people. The whole recruitment plan—which, again, we are on target to achieve—is all about making sure we have enough nurses so that we do not have to use agency workers.

Bread and Flour Regulations: Folic Acid

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Excerpts

Wednesday 6th July 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Kamall (Con)]

If I let your Lordships laugh a bit longer, maybe I will run out of time. We are absolutely clear that we will do this; I am sorry that we have to go through this process, but the advice I have been given is that we have to go through the proper consultation and notification process. I apologise if that annoys noble Lords.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Lord will have followed the argument of my noble friend Lord Rooker for a very long time. Actually, he is one of the very few Ministers that I hope will not resign, because he is always honest and clear with this House and has a level of respect which Ministers in another place perhaps do not have. But I ask him quite sincerely: does he really want the risk of another 500 or 600 babies who are much wanted being lost, on the timetable he has outlined to the House, because that is what will happen?

[Lord Kamall (Con)]

I first express my relief that the noble Baroness does not want me to resign—but, as others say, give it time.

Personal Protective Equipment: Waste

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Excerpts

Tuesday 14th June 2022 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, in answer to my noble friend Lord Winston, the Minister said that the storage costs would have been greater than the costs of buying the PPE at the time that we did. Can he substantiate this for the elucidation of the House in general and say what those costs would have been for storage relative to the costs that we paid in the end? Perhaps he can give us those figures. If he has not got the information readily available today, maybe he will give them within a week or so.

[Lord Kamall (Con)]

Had we bought the PPE when it was first suggested that we should be preparing, the initial purchase price would have been lower, probably about £2.4 billion, but there would have been additional costs such as storage, replenishment of expired stock, and disposal of items, because even then there would have been items which had gone beyond their shelf life. That would have pushed the total cost to £13.4 billion.

Contraceptives and Hormone Replacement Therapy Drugs

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Excerpts

Wednesday 18th March 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bethell]

The noble Lord is entirely right to focus on pharmacists. I pay tribute to the important role they play in communities. Their role will be essential in the forthcoming months when enormous pressures will be put on hospitals. We will be encouraging people to avoid areas of infection. A typical pharmacy where there are two pharmacists, who might be related or even married, will clearly be under pressure. Two people working closely together are clearly an infection challenge. That is why we have engaged very closely with the pharmacy industry. The noble Lord is entirely right that the possibility of using recently retired pharmacists is being considered. Soon-to-qualify pharmacists might face early call up. Many have already been written to and there might be provisions in the forthcoming coronavirus emergency Bill to expedite the regulatory changes the noble Lord suggests.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, the Minister just told the House that HRT has been in short supply for over a year. Why have the Government not taken effective action on this before now?