Transgender People: Provision of Healthcare

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Tuesday 16th December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Will the hon. Member give way?

[Rachel Taylor]

I will make some progress, if I may. I am part-way through something that a trans person said, so it is not an appropriate time to intervene. They went on to say:

“I have personally used alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and self-harm to survive the last year and a half since referral and I have now been told I will have to wait several more months because of the backlog.”

[Jim Shannon]

I am reminded of last year when a mother came to me back home. Her son wanted to transition. The mother was under real pressure, as was the young boy. We tried to help as much as we could through the health system back in Northern Ireland. Does the hon. Lady agree that there is a journey not only for the young person who wants to transition, but for their parents? Everyone needs support to get them through that difficult transition.

[Rachel Taylor]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his helpful contribution. Of course, parents need help and support through this process.

In 2022, a coroner ruled that a 20-year-old trans woman had died in part because of delays in accessing gender-affirming care after two and a half years on a waiting list. Trans people also struggle disproportionately with general healthcare. A third of trans and non-binary people, rising to almost half among people of colour, received no NHS or private support during pregnancy, compared with just 2.4% of cis women. Nearly one in three trans and non-binary birthing parents said that they were not treated with dignity and respect in labour, compared with just 2% of cis women.

According to TransActual, 60% of trans people surveyed had been refused care because they were trans. Hundreds reported that their GP refused to prescribe hormones, even when they had been recommended by NHS gender clinics. Participation in cervical screening is also significantly lower, with trans and non-binary people estimated to be up to 37% less likely to be up to date with appointments. This Labour Government are the right Government at the right time to tackle these issues.

I congratulate the Minister and the Secretary of State on the HIV action plan that was announced this month. I remember vividly the stigma and shame of an HIV diagnosis in the ’80s and ’90s, which often led to suicide, as the alternative was a death sentence and a life spent facing discrimination and abuse. This HIV strategy is groundbreaking and sets us on the right path to end new HIV transmissions. I applaud its commitment to ensuring that all prevention efforts target underserved populations, including trans people.

The Government pledged in their manifesto to ensure that trans people receive the healthcare and support they need. I welcome the review being led by Dr David Levy into adult gender services, and I hope it will bring forward strong recommendations to cut waiting lists, expand access and deliver timely, appropriate and sensitive care. I know that trans people and LGBT organisations have been awaiting its publication, so I ask the Minister: when can we expect Dr Levy’s review to be published?

In April 2025, the Secretary of State also commissioned NHS England to undertake an LGBT+ health evidence review. That review seeks to identify the barriers to healthcare for all LGBT+ people, from examining the poor treatment of lesbian couples seeking IVF treatment to looking at insufficient mental health support for LGBT+ people. The review is highly anticipated by the whole community. Therefore, I ask the Minister: is Dr Brady’s review still due to conclude in January 2026, and when can the public and parliamentarians expect to see it?

Although I applaud the Government’s work to improve healthcare for transgender adults, I know that reviews alone will not fix the problem. We need to know that these reviews will be followed by action. I know that getting this right matters to the Government, so I ask the Minister: what steps will the Government take to reduce discrimination and transphobia in healthcare settings?

Will the Minister commit to mandatory training for clinicians on the respectful and appropriate treatment of trans patients? Will the Government commit to significant sustained investment in trans healthcare, with reducing waiting lists and expanding local provision as urgent priorities? We must build a healthcare system rooted in science, not stigma, and in compassion, not fear. We must decide whether we want to be a society that listens to people, supports them and gives them the tools to thrive.

There is one final point I would like to make. Those who know me will know that I first got involved in politics in the 1980s when Thatcher was introducing section 28. That policy was intended to make people like me feel shame about who we were, and to reverse the progress that previous generations had fought for. I got into politics to fight that cruel law and everything that it represented.

I am a gay woman who grew up in the ’80s, so I know what it feels like to be told, “It’s just a phase. Maybe you’ll grow out of it. Maybe it’s not really who you are. Maybe there’s just something wrong with you,” so believe me when I say that I have heard it all before. LGBT people have heard this all before. We know what bigotry is when we see it, and we know that bigotry is back. Let us make no mistake: the people who are organising against trans people now are no different from the people who campaigned for section 28. They want to present parts of our movement as a danger to society and push them to the margins. I will never let that happen.

To all those in this room and in this House who are totally convinced that trans people are not real, that they are making it up, that it is TikTok, Reddit or foreign TV that has turned them trans, that somehow this is some kind of new phenomenon, let me assure you all that I have had trans friends for as long as I have been out. Trans people have always and will always exist.

To all those in this room who used to say warm things about trans people back when it was popular to do so but who decided when the wind changed that they would blow in the other direction, and to the Conservatives who in 2018 introduced an LGBT action plan promising trans equality but who now are quite happy to laugh along with cruel mocking jokes about trans people in front of the mother of a murdered trans teenager, we see you, and much like history condemns section 28, history will condemn you too. Meet trans people, talk to them, understand what they are going through and believe them, then we can all stop fighting our toxic culture wars and get back to doing what we as lawmakers are elected to do: make things better for every single one of our constituents—not some of them, all of them.

Sudden Cardiac Death in Young People

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris Vince]

I do agree with my hon. Friend. Clarissa was a young girl who was very involved in sport. There is no reason why young people with these conditions cannot continue to take part in sport, as long as they are aware of their condition and able to take the necessary precautions.

Hilary said that her daughter

“put everything into her studies, the friends she made here and the staff that supported her along the way including while she was on her year abroad. We are grateful for the happy times she clearly took away with her to the next life.”

When I applied for and secured this Adjournment debate, what really struck me was the number of people who came up to me and shared their personal experiences. In fact, only this morning, two Doorkeepers shared their experiences of this condition. I pay tribute to one of those Doorkeepers, Kieron, whose son Connor—who was born on 13 January 1994—died in 1995 at only 14 months old. When the post-mortem was conducted, it was found that he died of sudden cardiac death through a thickening of a heart muscle. That was over 30 years ago, but I know from talking to Kieron the huge impact it has had on his life; he will always carry that loss with him. It is important that we recognise how long we have been aware of these issues, and that it is time to talk about what action we can take.

This morning, I was in my constituency of Harlow, talking to one of our headteachers, Vic Goddard, who is the head of the Passmores co-operative learning community. He spoke about a young boy dying of cardiac arrest during his time as a PE teacher, and feeling so strongly that every school he works in should have a defibrillator. Again, having spoken to some of the staff in this place, I want to emphasise the huge difference that access to a defib can make to survival chances.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. In the time he has been in this House, he has proven himself to be assiduous, committed and a hard-working constituency MP; I think every one of us is impressed by his efforts in this Chamber and in Westminster Hall, and we thank him for that. Today, he has done his constituents proud, and his constituents should be proud of him, including for how he has presented his case. Well done him.

The British Heart Foundation in Northern Ireland and similar groups have noted that undetected and inherited heart conditions can lead to sudden deaths in young people. That charity has estimated that one person aged under 35 dies every month in Northern Ireland from an undiagnosed heart condition. Does the hon. Member agree that there must be early intervention through screening for heart conditions that could be inherited genetically, to ensure they can be detected and treated earlier? The reason I am supporting the hon. Gentleman is that a young constituent of mine died in the same way he has described. For them and for Strangford, I put forward their case.

[Chris Vince]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and his kind words. He has intervened at the perfect time, because I was just going to go through some of the statistics. Twelve people aged between 14 and 35 die each week in the UK—which obviously includes Northern Ireland—from an undiagnosed heart condition, and as my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Fleur Anderson) mentioned, 80% of those people show no symptoms, meaning that the first sign is often sudden cardiac arrest. Elite athletes are screened by mandate, but amateur and grassroots athletes are not, despite their facing some of the same exercise-related risks. The NHS currently screens families only after a sudden cardiac death, so Hilary and her family were screened for the condition that took away her daughter’s life, but obviously that is too late for prevention.

--- Later in debate ---

[Amanda Hack]

I thank my hon. Friend for that important intervention. Defibs talk to you; there is no need to be mystified by their use. They are clever bits of kit, and a 999 emergency responder will talk people through the process. I ask everyone please to go and be trained, because this is really important stuff.

[Jim Shannon]

I thank the hon. Lady for making that point, and I thank the hon. Member for Leeds South West and Morley (Mark Sewards) for his intervention. Throughout my constituency and indeed Northern Ireland, defibrillators have been supplied to every school and community centre. The communities in Ards, Ballynahinch and the Ards peninsula have defibrillators in their city and village centres. We have an organisation called Ards Peninsula First Responders, which provides speedy training every month for those who want to learn how to use a defibrillator. On our defibrillators in Newtownards and elsewhere is a small diagram—an ABC for how to use them. I have not had to do this, but I have been told by First Responders, “If you follow these three directions, you will be able to use a defibrillator as well as anyone else.” Does the hon. Lady have the same opinion?

NHS: Winter Preparedness

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

There are many examples of great community-based vaccination initiatives. Many of those initiatives are supported by faith-based organisations, which is really important given the vaccine hesitancy in some of those groups. I do not believe that people are hard to reach; I believe that public services often do not try hard enough, and our approach is to do so. We will reflect on our success this year and seek to build on it for future years.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Secretary of State very much for his answers—the BMA is losing public support, and clearly the Secretary of State is gaining it. I wish him well in his role.

Official figures show that flu cases in Northern Ireland nearly doubled to 954 in recent weeks, and flu-related admissions also doubled, with hundreds being treated in hospitals. There are issues with the supply of the flu vaccine, to the extent that people are unable to get their jabs in pharmacies and GPs are only offering them to select groups. I know that the Secretary of State is in regular contact with the Minister in Northern Ireland, Mike Nesbitt. What discussions have taken place to increase the supply of the flu vaccine and ensure it is accessible to those who need it?

[Wes Streeting]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. Given that politicians are somewhere below traffic wardens and estate agents in terms of public popularity at the moment, it is quite an achievement for the BMA to have found itself even less popular with the public, but I think it has made very clear through its actions and rhetoric this week that it does not care about public opinion. In fact, the BMA does not seem to care much about the public at all.

The hon. Gentleman is quite right that we need to make sure we have a good supply of vaccine available across the whole of the United Kingdom. We work closely with the devolved Administrations, and I speak regularly with my Northern Ireland counterpart. Should the Northern Ireland Executive ever need support or assistance, we are always willing to provide it wherever we can.

Resident Doctors: Industrial Action

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 10th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

My hon. Friend has so much expertise on health and on employment rights and trade union law, and he is right. That is why this Government have chosen a different approach. We want to work with all our trade unions, we want to work with the BMA, and we can still do so if we hit the reset button and each of us commits to building a more constructive relationship.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I congratulate the Secretary of State and I fully support his stance on the resident doctors’ strike action. “Stand firm” is the message that I send to him, and I ask that God bless him and his team.

This will be the 14th strike since March 2023 and it is expected to cause major disruption. With the recent influx of flu, some wards have 70% occupancy. That could put the healthcare system under extreme pressure. Accident and emergency in the Ulster hospital, Belfast city hospital and the Royal Victoria hospital are under intense pressure. If they did not have the doctors from India and Africa, we would be under real pressure. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the BMA about the impact this strike will have on emergency care and, ultimately, on getting patients back home before Christmas?

[Wes Streeting]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his support. He is right to raise concerns about the impact on urgent emergency care. We will do our best to keep the show on the road, but I cannot make guarantees in the way that I would want to about the quality or timeliness of care. I place on record my thanks to my counterpart in Northern Ireland, Mike Nesbitt, as well as to my counterparts in Wales and Scotland, for the constructive approach that they have taken in making this possible.

Mental Health Bill [Lords]

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Consideration of Lords message
Monday 8th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

I beg to move, That this House agrees with Lords amendments 19B and 19C.

It is a privilege to return to the Mental Health Bill in this House for what I hope will be the final time in its passage. Thanks to the constructive and collaborative approach from Members across this House and noble Lords in the other place, we have been able to reach an amended and improved version of the Bill so that we can begin our vital work on the code of practice. In particular, I pay tribute to my ministerial colleague, Baroness Merron, for her outstanding work on this Bill.

The Bill sits alongside the 10-year plan, which sets out our ambitious reform agenda to transform the NHS and make it fit for the future. We know that there is much more to do to improve outcomes, to tackle unacceptable waiting times for care and to fully meet the needs of the population in a tailored, personalised and timely way. We will overhaul how mental health support is delivered in England to drive down waits and improve the quality of care, backed by a whole-of-society approach to preventing mental illness and to intervening early.

Last week, we announced the launch of an independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. We are launching this review to understand the rises in prevalence and demand on services, to ensure that people receive the right support at the right time and in the right place. People who need it will access high-quality and compassionate mental health support at an earlier stage, and more people will recover or live well with mental illness.

We will go further to improve the quality and transparency of care, working with experts and people with lived experience. We will publish a new modern service framework for severe mental illness, setting consistency in clinical standards across the country so that patients and families get the best-quality, evidence-based treatment and support.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

First, I welcome what is coming forward. I ask for clarification on something that has been brought to my attention. I seek the Minister’s advice and support. Lords amendment 19B relates to the appointment of a nominated person where no local authority holds parental responsibility for the patient. Does the Minister agree that there must be more emphasis on the voice of the child in the legislation, and that the child should have some preference when it comes to representation?

Terminal Illness: Mental Health Support

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. I want to say a big thank you to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale West (Mr Rand) for setting the scene so very well. He obviously has the necessary compassion and understanding. We recognise the pain that he referred to, which is suffered by many across the whole of the United Kingdom.

I am my party’s health spokesperson, so these issues are important to me. The lasting mental impact of a diagnosis of a terminal illness must never be underestimated. Definitions can differ, but have more or less the same meaning. Terminal illness is defined as a progressive, incurable disease not expected to be cured, where medical opinion is that death can reasonably be expected within roughly a year. I know there are exceptions. Some people live for six weeks and some for six years after getting a diagnosis. When someone is given a terminal illness diagnosis, they right away look at their whole life and those around them. I cannot imagine the feeling of being told that news and where the mind must go to. The reality is much more frightening than the thought.

A study by Marie Curie found that nine in 10 frontline staff supporting dying patients reported that patients were lonely—I think that was referred to earlier. A similarly high proportion report loneliness among end-of-life carers. The same report shows that loneliness at the end of life is strongly linked to worse physical health and mental ill health.

I remember a couple of occasions when I had to go and see people I knew who had been given a terminal illness diagnosis. One lady came back from holiday and was not feeling her best, so she went to see the doctor. The doctor told her she had liver cancer, and that lady did not last six weeks. I pay tribute to all the charities that do great work, Marie Curie in particular. The people are so compassionate, understanding and loving, and are always there when people need them most.

Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland stated that there are high levels of death illiteracy in Northern Ireland, meaning that those diagnosed with a terminal illness often have a true lack of understanding about how to access end-of-life and bereavement support, because they are so consumed—I am speaking in a generic way—by what is happening in their life and around them. This can be deeply worrying in terms of the mental turmoil of individuals and the people caring for them in their darkest times. There is a belief in taking the pressure off and knowing what the next steps are. More work must be undertaken to ensure there are no barriers to accessing care and to ensure people are aware of their options for end-of-life and palliative care.

There is no doubt whatsoever that restricting such information will worsen mental health symptoms. That is the nature of life. A person of faith will realise they are only here for a short time and they are going to a better place. For those who do not have faith, perhaps the Minister could suggest that people with a terminal diagnosis could talk to faith ministers for advice and succour.

We must also, I believe, do everything to empower patients and their families. It is not just the person who has been diagnosed with the terminal illness who is travelling on that path; the whole family is travelling with them, and they suffer, because their lives focus on what is happening as well. We must ensure that they receive the best care and access all available support, not only from our wider healthcare trusts, but from the communities in which they live.

I will conclude, as I am conscious of the time and of others wanting to speak. If we are serious about compassion and genuine care, we must be serious about better mental health support for those living with terminal illnesses. Whether someone has faced advanced cancer, motor neurone disease, heart failure or chronic respiratory illness, they deserve more than medication and medical charts; they deserve the highest emotional support and compassion and a reassurance that they are not alone. I look forward to seeing what more we can do to be better. I look forward very much to the response, from a Minister who understands the issues and who can give us the succour and support that we need.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

Order. I am afraid that we will now need to suspend as the Division is active. I will suspend the sitting for 15 minutes for the first Division and for 10 minutes for any subsequent Divisions. I gather that there may be several Divisions, so I apologise to the Minister and all other Members who will have to wait.

[Jim Shannon]

On a point of order, Sir Jeremy. We have 15 minutes to go and vote for the first Division. I am not telling you what to do, but if we need only two minutes, can we conclude the debate? There will be four votes; the first will take 15 minutes, and the other three will take 10 minutes each, which means it will be 45 minutes before we can come back.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

I do not want to compress the debate, as I appreciate it is a very sensitive subject. If the Minister can complete what he has to say in less than a minute, I will allow him to do so. If he needs longer, I will allow that after the Divisions.

Pandemics: Support for People with Autism

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing this issue forward. I always try to be helpful by mentioning some of the things we have done in Northern Ireland, and the Minister may find it helpful to know that many universities, including Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, offer work-based support for students with autism to help them navigate placements and internships in a way that assists them in preparing for future employment. It is really important that there is face-to-face activity. Does the hon. Member agree that, should we experience another pandemic-like event, there must be more focus on ensuring that support is still available and that the employment opportunities and health of people with autism are not hindered because they cannot access the support they need? Queen’s University and Ulster University did that, and they did it well.

[Jack Abbott]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I will come to some of that in a moment. I pay huge tribute to those who were working in Northern Ireland at the time. The pandemic was worldwide and the response hit all parts of our communities.

The years of the pandemic were very difficult for many people, but for people like Ivan they were deeply and profoundly traumatic. Ivan still bears the scars of that time. He lives with post-traumatic stress disorder and continues to experience flashbacks. He has not left the house at all in four years, and to this day the TV stays off. I will be really blunt: Ivan and those like him were betrayed by the previous Conservative Government. They utterly failed him, along with so many other autistic and neurodivergent people.

Children of Alcoholics

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 26th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the children of alcoholics.

It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris, particularly on this day, when there are other events going on in Parliament. I am grateful to colleagues from all parties who have come to support this debate, and to the Minister on what I know is a very busy day for his Department.

Today is a chance to speak on behalf of the children of alcoholics. They are the children who suffer in silence around our country, and sadly there are now many of them; nearly 2.5 million children live with one or both parents suffering from serious alcohol dependency or abuse. It is my great privilege, standing here today as chairman-elect of the all-party parliamentary group on children of alcoholics, to introduce this debate and formally launch our campaign across both Houses and all parties for this Parliament to take forward the work of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics.

The APPG has been brilliantly and ably led by my colleagues Jon Ashworth and the right hon. Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (Liam Byrne), who have passed the baton to me now that I am no longer in government. As a freelancer, and the deputy chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, I am free to speak without fear or favour. [Interruption.] I can hear the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) saying that I have always spoken without fear or favour.

I start by saying that there are many children of alcohol in this great Parliament. For many children, it is a terrible trauma of silent suffering from which they never really escape. It also drives into many children an extraordinary ability to take on responsibilities too young, as well as tasks and duties that should really fall only to adults, and it often engenders a drive to make a difference. We see 11, 10, nine or eight-year-olds face things that nobody should have to cope with, let alone a lonely child carer. It is perhaps not surprising that much of the drive that lies behind many people in this Parliament comes from some of those experiences, whether of alcohol or other addictions.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Gentleman; we spoke about people who have lived with this before the debate, which he might refer to, and I was very moved by what he told me. Across Northern Ireland, there are some 40,000 children living with parental alcoholism, and there has been a rise specifically in alcohol deaths. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that there must be more focus, and that antenatal and health visitors should routinely screen parents who are dependent on alcohol to not only support the parents but ensure that the children are protected in the home? I have a friend who grew up with this, and I always remember their story—it has stuck in my mind all my life.

[George Freeman]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. I want to reassure the Minister that I am not here to hit him with 20 demands—that will come in due course. Today is really a chance to raise the flag of the all-party parliamentary group. The hon. Gentleman has mentioned one of the things in our manifesto for change, and I am grateful to him for raising it.

Uckfield Community Hospital Surgical Unit

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Tuesday 25th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mims Davies (East Grinstead and Uckfield) (Con)]

I start by thanking, through you, Madam Deputy Speaker, Mr Speaker for granting me this Adjournment debate. I know that it is unusual to allocate Adjournment debates to members of the shadow Cabinet, so I am grateful. I am delighted to be raising this important matter on behalf of my constituents. I appreciate it, and I hope that you, Madam Deputy Speaker, as my constituency neighbour, will appreciate it too.

Since July 2024, Uckfield community hospital has been entrusted to me as part of my changed constituency. It is one of two small but vital community hospitals in my area, the other being the award-winning Queen Victoria hospital in East Grinstead, which is going from strength to strength. We look forward to the completion of the community diagnostic centre in 2026. It is a buzzing, specialist community facility with great ratings and a vibrantly bright future. I thank all NHS staff in the various hospitals that cover my area, and the wider frontline staff who are there for us in times of need. As we approach the festive season, we are especially grateful to them.

So why do we have what feels like a fragile moment for the Uckfield community hospital? It has the same caring NHS staff and high ratings, but services have been taken from the site, including the formal site manager. Those removals give a sense of great unease. I will give a little history of the site, which, Madam Deputy Speaker, you will already know. A local benefactor back in the 1980s—Mr Arthur Hughes, a generous local farmer—gave the land and £1 million. The League of Friends then raised a further £1 million, which was matched by the NHS, for the people of Uckfield and the surrounding villages to see the facility delivered. The hospital was officially opened in 1993 by Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret. The bequest has the vital inclusion of an operating theatre. This can be found in the associated covenants, and it was especially for the small surgical aspects of local day care.

I have visited this fairly new, fresh-feeling, beautifully set and well-maintained community hospital on several occasions, and the welcome has always been warm and caring—local NHS staff taking great pride in their roles to support and administer to the local community. The League of Friends has long played an active part, and frankly a huge financial part, and has been a practical supporter of Uckfield hospital and the resident trust over the past years. Two examples recently include funding X-ray equipment to the tune of £186,000, and ultrasound machines at £60,000. It has not only supported the hospital, but offered extra funding to local GP surgeries, as it is the League of Friends’ philosophy that such funding benefits all local people.

The League of Friends has delivered plans to help upgrade the busy minor injuries unit on site. However, with the surgical unit now mothballed—in reality, it feels like it is closing—the uncertainty is just too much for the Friends. That is reflected in the emails that I have received in the past few weeks and months—even today, ahead of this debate. Local people are worried about the site. I hope that their fears will be allayed tonight.

The wonderful Linda Kenwood, the secretary of the League of Friends, has said poignantly:

“To be treated in this way is very upsetting.”

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Lady for bringing forward this debate. I spoke to her beforehand, and I share her concerns. We have similar concerns in my constituency, where the minor injuries unit closed. The unit was crucial for constituents, and its closure meant that they had to travel further—for almost an hour—to get to the nearest urgent care centre. Does the hon. Lady agree that any future decisions on any unit across this nation should be grounded in the needs of patients, the benefits of local access and the essential role that community hospitals play in delivering a resilient NHS?

[Mims Davies]

It is a pleasure to receive an intervention from the hon. Gentleman in an Adjournment debate, and I completely agree. That is exactly what tonight’s debate is about, and I thank him for adding to it.

Without a dedicated Uckfield hospital manager to pull it all together, the site has become fragmented—that is the feedback that I receive continually. I have repeatedly heard that none of the individual trusts seems to interact for the wider good of the hospital site and its patients. I have previously written to the Secretary of State for Health on this matter, as I am concerned that if any fire or substantial incident was found at the site, who ultimately would be responsible for the site as a whole and for ensuring health and safety for all?

Let me take you back, Madam Deputy Speaker. I visited the hospital on 4 October 2024 to meet Danielle Gearing, a staff nurse, to see for myself the services offered at the hospital and to find out what was actually happening on behalf of my constituents. Along with the minor injuries unit, there was a full and varied range of out-patient clinics, including oncology, rheumatology, chemical pathology, dermatology, vascular, oral and maxillofacial and neurology, to name a few. Most of these clinics did include the consultant, registrar and quite often a clinical nurse specialist.

Yet that list does not include the other service providers and facilities on the site, such as the health visiting team, diabetes nurses, diabetic eye screening, heart failure nurses, dietitians, cardiac rehab, Parkinson’s nurses and MS nurses. Macmillan is there. Bowel screening is there. There is hospice outreach and the AAA clinic—providing abdominal aortic aneurysm screening—and the list at Uckfield community hospital goes on.

Danielle confirmed that it is a very busy out-patient department, which we hope will continue. We should not forget that at that point the hospital also had a GP surgery, a pharmacy and a mental health facility on the site. The ambulance service also runs a site close to this facility, as you will know, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will say more on the pharmacy situation shortly.

Out of the blue, in August 2024, the League of Friends received the following in a letter from Dr James Evans, a consultant in critical care and anaesthetics and medical examiner at East Sussex Healthcare NHS trust:

“I am writing to yourselves as a Consultant within East Sussex Healthcare Trust, and Deputy Divisional director of DAS, and as a Clinical Lead for Day Surgery.

I am hoping you will be able to help, and would be grateful if you could take some time to consider this email.

One of my roles is Clinical Lead responsible for the newly built Sussex Surgical Centre (SSC), which is looking to be functional in March 2025. This will be a surgical Hub aiming to improve day case surgery provision across the whole region and hopefully benefiting patients and staff in East Sussex.

Part of my role is related to equipment for the SSC, both ensuring we have the right stuff in place, and sourcing any essential items within a tight budget. Whilst engaged in this task, I have been made aware of some equipment within Uckfield Hospital that was kindly purchased by yourselves over the years. Some of this equipment is expensive and specialist, and extremely useful for the surgeons and whole…surgery team.

I know that equipment purchased by The Friends is intended for use solely within their Hospital, but I was hoping you may be able to consider making an exception at this time.

All of the equipment you have purchased (including a microscope, ultrasound machine and ECG machine) are incredibly expensive, but vital for the successful running of a DSU, and we are struggling within the constraints of our budget to purchase all of the equipment. As you know, the trust is in a dire financial position, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

The items in Uckfield would go a long way to facilitating the above and would be used on a daily basis within the SSC.

I am aware that I am asking a great deal from yourselves at this time but wonder if you may be open to further discussion on the subject.”

This, Madam Deputy Speaker, is literally taking the family jewels in plain sight. Chris Macve, chairman of the League of Friends of Uckfield community hospital, said of their concerns about the possible removal of services from our day surgery unit that they “as yet have had no official communication from East Sussex healthcare NHS trust.” There are still various unhelpful rumours and deep concerns about what was received in this letter from James Evans, and frankly there is still no clarity for the staff, the Friends and my constituents—and your constituents, Madam Deputy Speaker. For clarity, the Friends have said—this is what they know—that they “have not been told that this unit is fully closing, but you can understand our disbelief at the insensitivity and the lack of respect at receiving the news in this way. We have a perfectly good operating theatre at Uckfield, fully equipped and staffed, just sitting there doing virtually nothing.”

After a number of rumours increased on 7 October 2024, the hospital staff in the surgical day unit were told unofficially that the integrated care board had agreed to a six-month closure and that they should expect a meeting at the end of October or early November in 2024. As Members can imagine, this was a real shock and morale took a massive tumble. The pilot—the mothballing—began on 2 December 2024, just before Christmas last year, and I brought to the House my worries and concerns for my constituents at that time.

As Joe Chadwick-Bell, chief executive officer of East Sussex healthcare NHS trust, wrote at the time of the announcement:

“Uckfield DSU cannot safely support general anaesthetic or overnight care, and does not carry out surgical procedures on patients with a higher risk of complications, such as those with complex needs, certain disabilities, significant frailty and/or certain concurrent illnesses. In those cases, even day case procedures must be carried out in an acute hospital environment where the full scope of supporting clinical services is on site. Uckfield theatre sessions are not currently well used. The reason is partly due to the safety criteria mentioned above, but also partly because some of the procedures that we previously carried out at Uckfield are no longer commissioned by the NHS. It is also because advances in care mean many of those procedures no longer need day theatres, so are delivered in normal treatment rooms.

Over the course of the pilot, we will evaluate the impact of the changes and consider options for the future of day surgery at Uckfield. It is in all our interests to make the best use possible of what is a valued asset for the NHS in Sussex.”

This pilot is so unfair. Frankly, the surgical unit in Uckfield was condemned to not stand a chance—with no staff, no anaesthetists and treatment figures already manoeuvred by the East Sussex healthcare trust. That is the view of staff. Another blow to the staff at the unit came at the start of 2025, when Kamsons Pharmacy closed—and left, I understand, with some clouds over the terms of its departure. Frankly, why has this happened?

One year on, my residents are not taking this lying down. They have got together a local petition, which at present stands at 6,366 signatures. But it is the uncertainty that is causing local residents a great deal of stress and panic. I will be building on this petition after this debate. People need local services. They need family and friends nearby to help with operations, getting to the hospital and out of hospital, and they need care in the community—all of which this Government are committed to. My residents need answers.

I have had meetings, after much pleading, with three recent chief executive officers of the integrated care board: Adam Doyle, who personally promised me and my casework team updates in early August; Mark Smith; and the newly appointed chief executive officer of NHS Sussex, Karen McDowell, who I had the most recent meeting with last week. NHS England reorganisation and staff changes have left me and my casework team in the dark, just like my constituents under this Government, who I know are committed to local community services just as I am.

I stress again how important the day surgery unit is to providing local care. Uckfield hospital is a vital facility. It must not slip through our fingers. Its staff—some of whom have now retired or left in upset, anger and frustration—are worried. The CEO has kindly written to me since we met and said:

“I clearly heard the commitment of you and the local people for Uckfield community hospital, and am speaking to our commissioning teams who have been working with East Sussex healthcare NHS trust around their pilot specifically on day surgery but also—and likely more importantly—our terms working to develop neighbourhood care, and the potential for this asset within its work.”

I thank her for this letter and share it gratefully.

To recap for the Minister, a thriving surgical day unit has been mothballed. The manager of the hospital has been taken away and not replaced. Anaesthetists have been moved elsewhere and are not accessible. Patients are now directed to other surgical sites. Staff heard out of the blue of a six-month mothballing and were given roles miles away from Uckfield. The League of Friends’ assets have been stripped from the site. A year later, we are still in the dark, with no decision taken and no ICB head willing to put their head above the parapet. We need to know what comes next.

My well-loved hospital is a vital community service. Our town and area are growing at a rapid rate, with a significant amount of housing being built and due to be built. There is difficulty involved in getting around a rural area and there is an impact from the public having to get to Eastbourne.

Lots of people have moved from the coast and from London and have taken the opportunity to work locally, and they expect NHS services on the doorstep. That is why I am grateful to be in the Chamber this evening to ask the Minister to look at this vital matter for me and my constituents and to do all that she can. We need this facility to thrive, with the community hospital and its wide-ranging services backed to the hilt. Crucially, we want the Uckfield day surgery back doing what it should: operating.

World COPD Day

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 20th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered World COPD Day.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Efford. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for making time for this debate. I am always pleased to see the Minister in her place—she knows that—and we look forward to her answers to our requests on behalf of our constituents. I am also pleased to have other colleagues here, including the shadow Ministers for the Conservatives and for the Lib Dems, the hon. Members for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) and for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan), and also my good friend, the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton).

I am glad to be able to raise the issue of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Yesterday was World COPD Day, so I pay tribute to the wonderful work carried out by so many organisations and individuals to draw attention to the illness. We had an event here last night, which was well attended. The people in the Gallery are those who do the hard work for the all-party parliamentary group for respiratory health, which I chair. We had a great event last night with many excellent speakers.

I want to reflect on the organisations and individuals that attended last night to draw attention to the illness. Hugh McKinney is going to look at me and say, “You mentioned that lady again”, because last night one of our special guests was Shirley Ballas of “Strictly Come Dancing”. I could not dance if my life depended on it—I have two left feet—but that lady can. Last night she was not there because she is a judge on “Strictly Come Dancing”. She was there to tell the story of how she cares for and looks after her mum, who has COPD. There are two sides to the lady—the side we see on TV and the caring side. The previous debate was about unpaid carers across the United Kingdom, in all constituencies, and the work that they do. It was a pleasure to take part in that debate and to see so many there.

As chair of the APPG for respiratory health, I will cover a number of issues today around COPD. I will frame my comments around the latest initiatives and also the current policy direction. Hopefully we can try to marry those two together so that we can have a focus and a target to do better. To make that happen, of course, we need Government and ministerial support.

As always, I am indebted to Sarah Sleet and her wonderful team at Asthma and Lung UK for their outstanding help and ongoing support. Without their enormous help to me and the APPG that I chair, we just could not manage as well as we do. I also want to say a special thanks to Jonathan Fuld, the national clinical director for respiratory disease, for his expert advice and counsel. I pay tribute to the ongoing work of our expert stakeholder groups, which comprise senior clinicians, industry, professional bodies and other experts. We have Zoom meetings because that is the best way for us to come together from all over the United Kingdom and it means people do not have to travel. When we have our Zoom meetings we have fantastic contributions from all over the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and sometimes further afield.

I want to begin with a general point on the modern service frameworks. There is much to be thankful for in what the Government are doing and we want to focus on that as well, but there are also things that we want to ask for. Although the APPG warmly welcomed the initiative of the modern service frameworks, the Minister will not be surprised that we were disappointed that respiratory health was not included in the first wave. Respiratory health is an ideal candidate, I believe, as do others inside and outside the Chamber, for the next wave. What can the Minister do to include respiratory health in the next wave of the Government’s 10-year plan for health, which we very much welcome and are encouraged by?

The outcomes of COPD are widespread and have a huge impact on the NHS. I will give some statistics to show that. Sometimes, people hear statistics and are sceptical. I always think about “lies, damned lies, and statistics”, but the stats are important because they set the scene. Many times when we are looking at the objectives and targets for the NHS, we need the statistics before us, because they indicate the policies that hopefully the Government will follow.

Lung conditions, including COPD, are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions, especially in winter, when respiratory admissions can increase by some 80%. These figures are worrying; we are in that season now, and we could see that figure. The rate of emergency admissions to hospital for COPD in England increased by 9% in 2024 compared with 2023; unfortunately, they are increasing consistently. That represents some 121,129 A&E admissions—significantly higher than in the previous year. Worryingly, the trends are upwards. I hope that the Minister, when she responds to the debate, can give us some ideas about how the Government can reverse those trends and reduce that figure.

COPD is the second most common cause of emergency admission in the United Kingdom, and 1.7 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with it. In my office, when we meet constituents, we help them with their benefits forms and try to put them on the pathway to get some help to deal with their health conditions. I have known many people over the years who, unfortunately, are no longer here today because COPD has taken their life. Others are on oxygen, just trying to survive every day. Again, that is quite worrying.

It has been estimated that there could be around 600,000 more people in the UK who are living with undiagnosed and untreated COPD. What can we do to identify those people and ensure that they understand what is happening to them, so they can get some help with the life that they will now lead? Lost productivity due to COPD is estimated to cost around £1.7 billion per year. There is a cost to every disease, but there is a real cost to this disease, and if we can diagnose and catch it earlier, perhaps we can reduce that sum.

My last point is about something quite worrying. Each year, around 30,000 people in the UK die from COPD. That is the reality experienced by some of my constituents I have met over the years, but who are no longer with us. The disease progresses so fast that people’s life expectancy is reduced. Deaths caused by respiratory diseases are more strongly linked to deprivation than deaths caused by any other major disease. People living in the poorest areas of the United Kingdom are five times more likely to die from COPD than those living in the richest areas. That is a real disparity, whereby people in deprived areas are more susceptible to COPD and their life expectancy is also reduced. I have another ask of the Minister: how can the Government address deprivation and its impact on particular areas, specifically when it comes to COPD?

Research from Asthma and Lung UK shows that someone from the poorest 10% of households is over two and a half times more likely to have COPD than someone from the most affluent 10% of households. That is a real disparity. If someone lives in an affluent area, they have 10% less chance of getting COPD than someone living in a deprived area.

We hope that the transition from hospital to community under the 10-year plan for the NHS will transform COPD outcomes in the most deprived areas. A survey by Asthma and Lung UK found that almost a quarter of people with COPD wait five years or more for a diagnosis, with one in eight of people with COPD waiting for over 10 years. Again, I have another ask of the Minister. How can we shorten the wait for a diagnosis of COPD? If we catch it earlier, we can reduce the impact on life expectancy and help with life conditions and how to reach a better level of care.

The same survey showed that only 9% of people with COPD in the UK were receiving good basic care. That is worrying. Again, as chair of the respiratory health APPG, it is one of the things that we hope to address. While the statistics are stark, the APPG also acknowledges and welcomes a huge amount of work undertaken by NHS England ahead of the winter months to relieve the pressure on the NHS. We are all here to make lives better, and not to make them worse, but sometimes we need to have a better idea of what needs to be done. The NHS can do much, but it cannot perform miracles. It can only do the best it can, so how do we help it to do so, given all the pressures it is under?

We commend the urgent and emergency care delivery plan, and Exercise Aegis, which will devolve accountability for winter readiness to the integrated care boards—probably a good idea. Under Aegis, NHS England will stress test winter preparedness by running seven regionally-led exercises. I ask the Minister for some detail on that, on what it means and how it will work—no doubt we are to hear that shortly. The initiative is welcome and a well thought-out plan, I believe—I am sure others will comment —that promises to deliver the regional outcomes that will make a huge difference. Only in the past few days have we realised that winter is coming—anyone who has not felt the cold must be wearing a strong and heavy coat—so will the Minister update us on the outcomes of the regional exercises and how they feed into the winter preparedness strategy?

We are busy in the APPG—Hugh and the team clearly do that for us—and recently we held a roundtable on the winter pressures in partnership with the Centre for Applied Respiratory Research Innovation and Impact—CARRii, to abbreviate all those words—which gave an outstanding presentation. Early next year, we will produce a short report, taking the outcomes of that meeting and the data from this year into account. We are happy to share it with the Minister, because I think it will be helpful when drawing up a better way to do things.

Key themes of the roundtable included an increase in vaccination rates—more focus on that has been because of, unfortunately, a slight reluctance to take up vaccination —and how we encourage that. At the Tuesday morning roundtable, with Lord Bethell from the other place, we had an opportunity to discuss how best to do that with those in the NHS, and with other companies and people who have a deep interest in the subject matter. Some of the ideas will be helpful for the future.

We need better infection control. COPD exacerbations are mainly driven by infections. How can we address and target that in the system? We must implement fully the five fundamentals of COPD care by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which outline what effective management of care looks like, such as vaccination, smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation. Recent analysis has found that expanding access to PR services to all eligible patients could result in £142.6 million of direct NHS savings related to reduced exacerbations, as well as a reduction of 194,000 bed days, 66,000 of which would be saved over the winter period.

Those figures cannot be ignored—at the end of the day, the NHS has to work within the figures, the money, it has available. When we look at the savings and the reduction in bed days, in particular over the winter period, we must try to do better. The final fundamentals are personalising self-management planning and optimising treatment for co-morbidities. Will the Minister please assure us that the NICE fundamentals of COPD care are being implemented consistently across the country? The Minister will know, because she is very knowledgeable and responsive to these issues, that the APPG strongly supports the 10-year plan and the three shifts, which are ideally placed to transform respiratory care and outcomes. Community delivery, especially, promises a great deal for improved respiratory outcomes by placing facilities closer to home. That is a better way to do it.

We welcome the work already under way to place respiratory services in community settings and the introduction of spirometry in all CDCs and community health services. This a really positive way forward. There is, however, evidence to suggest that not all patients receive spirometry tests. If we are going to introduce spirometry, we need to ensure that all patients can receive those tests. Will the Minister make sure that these tests be undertaken on all eligible patients?

Will the Minister also please look at the waiting lists for diagnostic testing and see whether they can be prioritised to test those at the highest risk first? That is a lot of asks—I have given the Minister and the shadow Minister a copy of my speech, so hopefully the Minister had all my questions in advance. I hate to throw around 20-odd questions at her in the space of an hour and a half and expect answers right away, but hopefully we can get those answers—I know that the civil servants who are here will work very hard to ensure that happens. Although it might be too late for this winter, perhaps that provision could be in place for people for next year.

We are also looking forward to the upcoming NICE guidance on the biologic therapies for COPD, which will be a complicated process. We will keep an eye on the implementation of these drugs when they are approved. The advancements in medicine cannot be ignored; it is really good to have them, and it is encouraging that we are living that bit longer now. We can now extend and improve the lives of people with diseases that would previously have killed them fairly young.

Finally, we have been looking at the incidental findings from lung cancer health checks. According to recent data, around 100,000 people who have been assessed under the targeted lung health check programme have been diagnosed with emphysema or symptoms of no recognised disease to date. What can be done to help those 100,000 and perhaps others facing those circumstances who have not yet been diagnosed?

Lastly, there is no onward referral from the lung health checks, and I think there should be. It would be helpful to have an assurance about how that could be achieved. I know that this is a complex area—it always is—and that lung cancer health checks are carefully targeted, particularly for those in our most deprived communities, who are least likely to be well served, but this provision would seem to fit perfectly in a modern service framework for respiratory health. So, I end where I began: I hope that this will happen sooner rather than later. I have made a lot of requests, but we are fortunate to have a Minister who responds in a way that gives us all encouragement. We have a real problem with COPD, and this debate gives us the chance to highlight the issue for patients. The winter pressures are on. I am pleased to see my friend, the hon. Member for Blaydon and Consett (Liz Twist). She is the co-chair of the APPG, and she will hopefully speak next. I look forward to hearing all the contributions, including from the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon, and, ultimately, the Minister.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jim Shannon]

I thank all hon. Members for their contributions. I particularly thank the hon. Member for Blaydon and Consett (Liz Twist). She and I have been friends for ages and ages—so far back that I maybe had hair at that time. She underlined two issues: access to public transport, and how difficult it is for people to return home from hospital. She was keen to welcome the progress on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and on access to drugs. She is no longer a Parliamentary Private Secretary, so she can now be active on the APPG—we are very much looking forward to having her energy back.

The hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton) also set the scene very helpfully. COPD never goes away; it escalates, so how do we address it? He said that there were 200,000 admissions to hospital due to respiratory ill health in the last year. He also talked about access to data and to medical care for COPD. It is sometimes a postcode lottery in the United Kingdom, and that has to change.

The hon. Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan) talked about chronic bronchitis and rehabilitation. She said that early diagnosis reduces the cost to the NHS. Shortness of breath means that there should be more checks for COPD. She said that anyone over 35 should get checked. That is very wise—we should all take note of that. She also referred to the Lib Dem ambition to recruit another 8,000 GPs, and she spoke about vaccination.

The hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford) made an excellent speech—it was a real pleasure to hear it. He referred to the inequality and deprivation across the United Kingdom, and talked about how to do spirometry tests better. The pressure on the NHS is enormous. He said that pulmonary rehabilitation treatment is a key way of responding, and we very much welcome that. He also referred to other COPD interventions, and said that this is a year-round emergency.

I am very pleased to have the Minister here to respond to our requests. Anyone listening to her speech would recognise that she is keen, eager and energetic in giving us the answers that we are looking for. I am conscious of the look that you are giving me, Mr Efford, so I will be very quick. She said that her mother has COPD, and therefore this is a personal issue for her. She is as keen as all of us to see results. She set out the case for the prevention of COPD, and said it is the next disease to be considered in the respiratory service framework—hopefully in the next phase. I am looking to her to see whether the Government can deliver on that.

Prevention is better than cure. We must work harder to introduce a vaccination programme. The hon. Member for Blaydon and Consett referred to housing and air quality. We need a pathway to work so that those with long-term illnesses can come back to work. The Minister set out lots of positive things. She referred to deprivation, which we all know about. She spoke about spirometry care from hospital to the community, pulmonary rehabilitation, which is key to reducing COPD, and lung cancer screening—all good stuff.

I want to put on the record a big thank you to all those who participated, to Hugh, Will and the team in the Public Gallery for all that they have done, to you, Mr Efford, for your patience, and to the civil servants—they are not often thanked, but let us thank them for what they do.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered World COPD Day.