Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Tuesday 21st March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend speaks very wisely on this matter. In the end, schools are a vital place in which to spot mental health conditions early. We know that around half of mental health conditions become established before the age of 14, and this will be a big part of the Green Paper that we publish later this year.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

Does the Secretary of State recognise the ways in which poverty, the associated financial strain and deprivation intersect with mental health; understand the need for him to work with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ensure that mental health is properly recognised in personal independence payment assessments; and recognise that the problem is more acutely affected if people have to travel out of their area of residence?

[Mr Hunt]

I can reassure the hon. Lady that I have had a number of discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Indeed, we are producing a joint Green Paper on health and work precisely to make sure that we address those issues.

Mental Health and NHS Performance

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Monday 9th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

Does the Secretary of State accept that the deepening crisis in the NHS is not solely down to an ageing society, and that failure to provide sufficient funding is the key to the crisis, and therefore that it is possible to address it? What will he do about it?

[Mr Hunt]

If the hon. Lady is worried about funding, she might explain why funding for the NHS in England went up by double the rate of funding for the NHS in Scotland over the last Parliament—[Interruption.] I will get her the figures on Northern Ireland, but I say that by way of reference. I apologise for my error.

I agree with the hon. Lady that it is not just about the ageing society; it is about changing consumer expectations and the fact that people want access to healthcare 24/7 today in a way that was not the case 10 or 20 years ago. That in itself is the cause of a lot of the additional pressure.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Tuesday 5th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jeremy Hunt]

I welcome my hon. Friend’s close interest in ensuring that this important agenda does not get swept aside. I can assure her that we have had many discussions inside Government about what to do. There is a strong commitment to take it forward as soon as possible, and I hope that she will get some good news on that front before too long.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

Will the Minister responsible for public heath confirm when a statement on contaminated blood will be made to the House, and in particular on the response to the consultation that closed in April?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Tuesday 17th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend speaks very wisely on this issue. Yes, this is not about making sure that every hospital is providing every service seven days a week. It is about making sure that in an urgent or emergency situation, people can access the care they need and that, for example, high dependency patients are reviewed twice a day, even at the weekends, by consultants. That happens across all specialties in one in 20 of our hospitals, which is why it is so important to get this right.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

What assessment has the Department made of the impact of reduced accident and emergency hours, and what effect will that have on the implementation of a seven-day work plan?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Tuesday 13th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. We have done extensive analysis, because of our commitment to transform the role of general practice, of the issues. They include too much bureaucracy and form-filling, which means that doctors do not spend enough time with patients, and a sense that successive Governments have not invested in general practice and primary care. That is exactly what we seek to turn around with the “Five Year Forward View”.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

What discussions have taken place with the devolved Administrations regarding the introduction of the new GP contract, particularly the junior doctor contract, given the exodus of junior doctors to Australia?

[Mr Hunt]

We also have Australian paramedics working in the UK, particularly London, so that traffic goes both ways, but, as the hon. Lady will know, health is a devolved matter, and people follow their own paths. For England, we are determined to eliminate the weekend effect. Every year, there are 11,000 excess deaths as a result of inadequate cover at weekends, and we do not want that to continue.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Tuesday 7th July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

They cause a lot of grief to many people, which is why we have issued new guidance that tells people to take particular trouble for people who have to visit hospitals on a regular basis.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

Will the Secretary of State outline when compensation will be made available to those who were infected by contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s?

[Mr Hunt]

The hon. Lady is right to draw attention to this tragedy, and we will be bringing our plans forward to the House shortly.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

Tuesday 2nd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I can confirm that we agree with the hon. Gentleman and the Opposition that we must consider adult social care provision alongside NHS provision. The two are very closely linked and have a big impact on each other. I obviously cannot give him the details of the spending settlement now, but we will take full account of that interrelationship and recognise the importance of the integration of health and social care that needs to happen at pace in this Parliament.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

6. What recent discussions his Department has had with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine on the recruitment of additional middle-grade doctors for NHS hospitals.