Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Skidmore Excerpts

Tuesday 6th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Barclay]

My hon. Friend is right to point out the need to give support to this trust. That is why a wider package of £1.6 billion of funding has been given to the NHS to improve accident and emergency and elective care performance. Alongside that, we have specific work through NHS Improvement to address some of the particular issues that he alluded to in his trust.

[Chris Skidmore (Kingswood) (Con)]

rose—

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Skidmore (Kingswood) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State update the House on progress made in reducing the cost of agency nurses so that the money can be reinvested in full-time nursing?

[Mr Hunt]

I am happy to do that. It is one of the great successes of NHS Improvement, which should be celebrated, that it has brought down the amount spent on agency nursing by £1 billion in the last couple of years. That is a huge achievement. Every penny of that goes back into frontline care.