NHS Long-Term Plan

Debate between Karin Smyth and Jeremy Hunt

Monday 18th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

The hon. Gentleman is right that community pharmacies have a vital role to play. I do not think we use them enough. We need to find better ways for them to help us in the prevention agenda, and one way we are doing that is by integrating medical records so that they can be accessed by pharmacies, which will help them to give good advice to patients.

[Karin Smyth (Bristol South) (Lab)]

May I press the Secretary of State on the issue of transformation and his hint—I think—at ring-fencing? If the people of Bristol South are to be asked to spend more money on the NHS, how will they know that it is being used to improve health outcomes and not simply to bail out local hospital deficits?

[Mr Hunt]

The hon. Lady is right to ask that question, and I encourage her to hold her local NHS to account on that. There are some simple metrics, which we can share with her, that can tell us whether the NHS is using the money wisely, and one of them is whether her local hospitals are managing to reduce their emergency admissions by providing better care in the community. She is right that it is the litmus test of whether the money is being spent wisely.

NHS Outsourcing and Privatisation

Debate between Karin Smyth and Jeremy Hunt

Wednesday 23rd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

That is exactly the point. Sometimes the quality is high in the private sector and sometimes it is low. When it is low, we will clamp down hard just as we do with the NHS.

[Karin Smyth (Bristol South) (Lab)]

I am listening carefully to the Secretary of State’s comments on ideology and the Health and Social Care Act 2012. He will remember that I, in a CCG, was implementing the 2012 Act. Is he saying that he is proud of the Act and that it has worked out as intended?

[Mr Hunt]

As Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai said about the French revolution, it is too early to tell.

As my hon. Friend the Member for Solihull (Julian Knight) alluded to, there is one ideology that we will not compromise on: our belief that the NHS should be free at the point of use and available to all. And why will we not compromise on this? It is because, contrary to Labour’s creation myth about the NHS, it was a Conservative Health Minister, Sir Henry Willink, who first proposed it in 1944. Here are his words from 1944 announcing the setting up of the NHS:

“Whatever your income, if you want to use the service…there’ll be no charge for treatment. The National Health Service will include”—

[Interruption.] I know this is difficult for Labour Members, but let me tell them what the Conservatives said when we were setting up the NHS:

“The National Health Service will include family doctors”

and will

“cover any medicines you may need, specialist advice, and of course hospital treatment whatever the illness”.

Nye Bevan deserves great credit for delivering that Conservative dream, but let us be clear today that no party has a monopoly on compassion, and no party has a monopoly on our NHS. There are some other myths—

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Karin Smyth and Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday 6th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to highlight that area. It is one of six high-impact areas we are focusing on throughout the country. We are making progress, but we know we could do a lot better.

[Karin Smyth (Bristol South) (Lab)]

9. If he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the VAT status of NHS trusts.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Karin Smyth and Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday 19th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I can reassure the hon. Lady that we are putting a lot of extra funding into mental health— £575 million last year alone—to meet those and other obligations.

[Karin Smyth (Bristol South) (Lab)]

NHS Property Services exists on a merry-go-round of taxpayers’ money. Will the Secretary of State give us all a Christmas present by closing it down and returning the control of property to local health communities?

[Mr Hunt]

I understand why the hon. Lady has asked that question. I think it fair to say that NHS Property Services has been on a journey and needs to do even better, but we also want to ensure that NHS land is made available for housing for NHS staff.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Karin Smyth and Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday 4th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Karin Smyth (Bristol South) (Lab)]

NHS Property Services has just signed a £1 million lease on a central London location. May I suggest that other properties were available? Would the Secretary of State like me to inquire in my constituency, where NHS Property Services increased Knowle West Health Park’s rent threefold? Better value for the taxpayer is available.

[Mr Hunt]

I will be happy to look into the matter if the hon. Lady sends me the details.