Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts
Tuesday 7th February 2017

(7 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Mowat Portrait David Mowat
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My hon. Friend makes a good point about the success of the vanguard in Kent. Last week I visited the care home vanguard in Sutton, which has achieved a 20% reduction in A&E admissions due to better integration and the sort of things that she mentions as being successful in Kent.

Andrew Stephenson Portrait Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)
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If the Minister watched BBC News last night, he might have seen footage showing the extreme demand for treament in Royal Blackburn hospital’s A&E department and the pressure that it is under. We could point to social care changes but, in reality, the situation is down to the closure of Burnley general hospital’s A&E department in 2008 under the previous Labour Government. What more can we do to support and reduce pressure on A&E departments?

David Mowat Portrait David Mowat
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My hon. Friend is correct in so far as two thirds of all delayed transfers of care are a consequence of internal NHS issues, not issues between the NHS and councils. The issue regarding Blackburn and Burnley is part of that.