Health and Social Care

Debate between Andy Burnham and Hugh Bayley

Monday 13th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Andy Burnham]

I do not think the right hon. Gentleman is listening. I said that if there were to be any increase, it should go into supporting social care. I now hear that Government Members are proposing emergency transfers from the NHS budget to social care because of the crisis that the Secretary of State has created.

[Hugh Bayley (York Central) (Lab)]

Surely the Secretary of State has forgotten that he received a letter in December from Andrew Dilnot, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority, which said that

“we…conclude that expenditure on the NHS in real terms was lower in 2011-12 than it was in 2009-10…In light of this, I should be grateful if the Department of Health could clarify the statements made.”

[Andy Burnham]

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend. He has now embarrassed the Secretary of State who, just a moment ago from the Dispatch Box, claimed the opposite. Similarly, the Work and Pensions Secretary was pulled up last week for doing exactly the same thing. They think they can stand there and say whatever they like, and they think they can get away with it, but they cannot, because people have seen through them. They have cut the NHS; they have broken the central promise on which this Government came to office. Now they are saying that the pressure on A and E has nothing to do with social care funding or NHS funding, but is all to do with the GP contract in 2004. That is what they have been saying on the radio for the last three weeks.

Let the Government answer this. In 2009—five years after the GP contract came into force—98% of people were seen within four hours at A and E departments across England. What we have seen recently is that, week after week, major A and E units are missing their lowered target. That is the reality right now, and the Secretary of State had better start facing up to it.