Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Adam Jogee and Wes Streeting

Tuesday 6th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)]

Reducing hospital backlogs is a key priority in this Government’s plan for change, as the 18-week standard for elective care has not been met for almost a decade. Our elective reform plan sets out how we will return to that standard by the end of this Parliament, through a combination of investment and reform. Since July, the waiting list has reduced by over 219,000 and we have delivered an extra 3 million appointments, exceeding our manifesto pledge and doing it earlier than planned.

[Adam Jogee]

I am grateful to the Secretary of State for his answer and for the progress made, but there is still more to do. My constituent in Newcastle-under-Lyme has recently been recovering from brain surgery at the Royal Stoke university hospital. However, she has faced multiple setbacks due to failures in the duty of care, including scalding injuries and a severely mishandled admission process. She is now receiving the correct care, but she had to wait many months to be admitted to the correct ward, and has been given limited time for rehabilitative treatment. Does the Secretary of State agree that to tackle backlogs, our hospitals must have the resources they need to provide the right care the first time round, so that patients are given the time and support to fully and effectively recover?

[Wes Streeting]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question, and horrified to hear about his constituent’s experience. This Government will never brush problems under the carpet or pretend that things are better than they are, and I know that for all the progress we have made in the past 10 months, there is still so much more to do. When we publish our 10-year plan for health, we must ensure that quality and safety are at the heart of every patient interaction. My hon. Friend is right about the need for investment. That is why we are investing £26 billion in the NHS and social care, and why it is so disappointing that the Opposition parties voted against it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Adam Jogee and Wes Streeting

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

We are determined to improve children and young people’s experience of both mental and physical health services, and we are determined to do more to ensure that mental health and paediatric waits are put under the spotlight and given the same attention as the overall elective backlog. I am sure we will have more to say about that when we publish the 10-year plan.

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

T2. I pay tribute to my constituents Sheila and Joe Ward, who have long campaigned for vaccine-injured people and bereaved families following the death of their husband and father. The vaccine damage payment scheme has received 16,824 claims. When can people who are still mourning the loss of loved ones expect to receive the compensation that they deserve?