Summer Health and Resilience

Adnan Hussain Excerpts

Wednesday 9th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Yvette Cooper]

I am very happy to talk to my hon. Friend further about this issue, as I know other Health Ministers will be. She is rightly standing up for the patients—particularly new mums—and staff in her constituency who are affected by the facilities. It is hugely welcome that we managed to include Kettering hospital in wave 2 of the new hospital programme, given the new facilities it needs. Obviously, there is a lot of work to be done, and there will need to be discussions about prioritisation locally—about what can be done and when. I also welcome my hon. Friend prioritising maternity issues, which are an important personal priority for me; I think we have not taken them seriously enough, across the health service, for too long.

[Mr Adnan Hussain (Blackburn) (Ind)]

When I bumped into the Secretary of State yesterday, I made clear the urgent need for investment in the Royal Blackburn hospital. I have seen shocking and undignified scenes in the corridors throughout the year. Having spoken to the hospital’s executive team, it is abundantly clear that the hospital is serving a population far, far beyond the capacity for which it was originally built. I welcome the building of new homes across east Lancashire, but does the Secretary of State accept that, unless we extend the hospital’s estate and workforce, this crisis will get worse? Health inequalities across Blackburn are already among the worst in England—

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

Order. I am sure the Secretary of State has the gist of the hon. Gentleman’s question.