Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andy Slaughter and Philip Dunne

Tuesday 21st March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Dunne]

My hon. Friend has considerable expertise, but I am advised that having all relevant children’s specialties on the same site is the optimal model of care for the most critically ill children. It promotes closer, more integrated ways of working between specialist teams, and ensures rapid access to key services, such as paediatric surgery, at the most critical times when they are needed.

[Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith) (Lab)]

Mortality rates for the treatment of congenital heart disease fell from 14% in 1991 to 2% last year. The Royal Brompton, where the service is threatened with closure, does better even than this. What evidence is there that the closure programme will produce any further improvement, and if there is none, why is it being pursued?

[Mr Dunne]

The hon. Gentleman is right to point out that we have some world-leading patient outcomes for congenital heart disease, and I recognise the statistics that he read out. This is being driven entirely by seeking to improve patient outcomes across the country—improving them even on that very good performance—and to ensure greater resilience of service in some areas where there are relatively low volumes and an over-reliance on locums. I accept that that is not the case at the Royal Brompton, but it is in some of the others.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andy Slaughter and Philip Dunne

Monday 27th June 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Dunne]

Apprentices are very important to maintain the skills on the Clyde to complete the Type 26 programme. The intention is that once we have signed the contract we will have clarity on the best value for money for the taxpayer. That is our priority.

[Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith) (Lab)]

15. Whether the Government plan to publish a policy on the use of drones for targeted killing.