Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Mary Glindon(10 years, 12 months ago)
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Mr Hunt
I do not think I have yet answered a question across the Dispatch Box from the hon. Lady, so I welcome her to her post. I just say that she should be careful what she chooses to turn into a political football, because hypothermia admissions, as Public Health England said in August, are very closely linked to the number of cold days over a winter and the length of that winter. We had a particularly difficult winter last year, but the number of winter deaths was nearly 20% higher under the previous Government, when the right hon. Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) was Health Secretary.
Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
8. What assessment he has made of the effects of social care budget changes on attendances at accident and emergency departments.
Children’s Heart Surgery
Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Mary Glindon(11 years, 5 months ago)
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Mr Hunt
I can confirm that a thorough process of learning the lessons will happen. As I said earlier, we must learn big lessons about the time it takes to make very important service changes in the NHS, not just in children’s heart surgery but in many other areas. We need to learn those lessons. The person who was responsible for the JCPCT, Sir Neil McKay, is no longer responsible and has retired from the NHS. We need to look at everyone who was involved in the process and see where the right calls were and were not made. If we do not, we will never be able to make important changes in the NHS—and we have a big responsibility to make those changes.
Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
The proposed reconfiguration of children’s heart surgery has gone on for years. Meanwhile, children are suffering and even dying. Why cannot the Secretary of State have a more rigorous timetable based on the lessons learned from the review so far?
Mr Hunt
That is what I absolutely want to do. One huge frustration for those on both sides of the House has been how the process has dragged on. If I could have come to the House today with a detailed timetable, I would have. Although we had internal access to the report before today while I considered its findings and reached a judgment, we believed that it was necessary for external stakeholders to see the report and give their view of how the timetable should proceed. That is why I have given NHS England until the end of July to come back with that timetable.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Mary Glindon(11 years, 10 months ago)
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Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
T6. As one in three women who get cancer are over the age of 70, can the Minister say when the newly launched Be Clear on Cancer campaign will be rolled out nationally?
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Mary Glindon(12 years, 1 month ago)
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Mr Hunt
I agree with my hon. Friend that the purpose of the changes that the coalition Government have brought to the NHS is to tap into local innovation, ideas and ambitions to transform services, and it is important that no changes undermine that. He should take comfort from the fact that my predecessor introduced clear tests for any major reconfigurations, including that they should be strongly supported by local doctors, that the public should be involved in any consultation, that the changes should improve patient choice and that there should be clear evidence of benefits to patients. I hope that that gives him and his constituents some reassurance.
Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
3. What his policy is on upholding national pay arrangements in the NHS.