Debates between Bill Esterson and Ben Gummer during the 2015-2017 Parliament

Thu 4th Jun 2015

NHS Success Regime

Debate between Bill Esterson and Ben Gummer
Thursday 4th June 2015

(9 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Ben Gummer Portrait Ben Gummer
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Every single aspect that is troubling local health economies, including recruitment, I understand, will be within the scope of success regimes.

Bill Esterson Portrait Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab)
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Having listened to the Minister’s answers, it seems to me that patients have every right to be worried about whether care is safe in the NHS. Does he not realise that, unless the Government reverse the cuts in social care, the problems in patient care will not be resolved anywhere in the NHS—not just in the areas covered by the so-called success regimes?

Ben Gummer Portrait Ben Gummer
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May I gently remind the hon. Gentleman that this Government and their predecessor changed the culture of trying to suppress bad news, whether on care or money, and instead tried to understand what was best for patients, even when that meant facing up to difficult decisions? That is precisely what NHS England is doing with the success regime, and that is why we are addressing seriously challenged local health economies, rather than pretending that there is not a problem, which I am afraid was the attitude of the Labour Front-Bench spokesman when he was in power.