Defibrillators

Connor Naismith Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd September 2025 Westminster Hall

[Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)]

I sincerely thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) for securing this important debate. I will focus on the maintenance of defibrillators, which is intrinsic to access to this lifesaving equipment. In my constituency of Crewe and Nantwich, it represents a very real challenge. I want to share a story about the gravity of the situation.

In September last year, my constituent collapsed in Nantwich town centre, from a suspected cardiac arrest. CPR was administered by the public on site and a 999 call was made. The operator directed the member of the public to a defibrillator in the town centre, only for the member of the public to find, when they opened it, that it did not work. Another call was then made to 999 and they were directed to another defibrillator, which meant another 10-minute delay in finally administering treatment. We all know how vital it is that quick treatment be provided in cases of cardiac arrest. Sadly, the man who had the cardiac arrest did not survive; he passed away later. We do not know whether finding a working defibrillator first might have saved his life, but I am almost certain that it would have helped. I ask the Minister what plans the Government have to better regulate the maintenance of defibrillators.

I have spoken at length about the situation with the British Heart Foundation, which operates the Circuit, and with the British Healthcare Trades Association, and it is clear that there are improvements that we could make. As of August 2024, in Crewe and Nantwich there were roughly seven defibrillators per 10,000 people. The national average is just 10. They recommend that there be between 50 and 100 defibrillators per 10,000 people. What is more, according to the British Heart Foundation, 46.4% of postcodes in Crewe and Nantwich are out of direct reach of a defibrillator. In a context in which we know that, with defib use, the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest increase from just 8% to above 70%, the existence of such defib deserts is clearly not acceptable.

[Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)]

I am experiencing exactly the same problem in Wolverhampton North East: I am sad to announce that almost 70% of postcodes are not within easy reach of a defibrillator. Local community groups are stepping up, but they can be hit with a VAT charge of anything between £200 and £500 per device. Does my hon. Friend agree that an important step forward would be to review VAT on defibrillators, to widen access?

[Connor Naismith]

My hon. Friend has almost taken the words out of my mouth, because I was about to move on to some of the steps that we could take to address this issue. She is absolutely right. Clearly there is an issue with the VAT; as we heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland, that is something that the Government should look at. It is also about ensuring that defibs are always accessible outside, about education on administering the equipment, about maintenance and about ensuring that defibs are on the Circuit wherever possible, because we know that in many cases they are not.

One thing is certain: inaction is not an option. This equipment saves lives. If we fail to act, we will continue to have avoidable deaths, unfortunately, as in the case of my constituent. The opportunity is there to save lives. I urge the Government to grip it.

Hospitals

Connor Naismith Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)]

In 2020, the Conservative Government announced the new hospital programme. The Prime Minister at the time, known for his complicated relationship with the truth, said that spades were in the ground, but it is clear from their disastrous 14 years in power that we cannot build on promises alone and we cannot change the country on empty slogans.

Fast forward to today, and the Labour Government have committed to building the hospitals not just with words, but with cold hard cash and a credible plan for delivery. I note that the Liberal Democrats appear to try to draw a comparison between the inheritance left to the coalition Government and that left to this Government by the previous Conservative Government. I have to take the opportunity to remind them that the coalition Government were left an NHS with the highest patient satisfaction on record and the lowest waiting lists on record. I welcome the progress made once again by this Labour Government in bringing down waiting lists six months in a row.

I am delighted that Leighton hospital in my constituency will be in wave 1 of the new hospital programme. Leighton has been in desperate need of an upgrade for some time. Building began on a new modular unit in January 2025, with some services due to move there by the summer of 2025. The original out-patient department has RAAC planks in the roof that are now well beyond their lifespan. Recent risk assessments have graded the condition as catastrophic, with an incident likely. That compounds the betrayal of the empty promises from the previous Government. The rebuild will mean that the hospital can serve my constituents, who desperately need medical facilities, for many years to come. The value of that is immeasurable.

I also welcome the Government’s commitment to changing the way we use health services. The NHS is our most beloved institution and it has served us effectively for a long time, but it must adapt. That is why I particularly welcome plans to turn Leighton into a health and care neighbourhood, transforming it into a site where provision is joined up; a place where resources are utilised well and people are actively involved in their care; a place where technology, digital and data help both proactive and personalised care to be more effective; and a place where we look after each other, we collaborate and people join forces to improve the whole.

[John Milne (Horsham) (LD)]

In my constituency, there has been a popular campaign for a general hospital for many decades without success. Given that we did not even make it on to Boris’s fantasy list of 40 hospitals, we are certainly not going to succeed now. In the absence of that hospital, what we need is a strategy to move more of the treatments for which distance really matters into smaller local clinics. In Horsham, that might include wound dressing and sexual health services. Does the hon. Member agree that if we are going to continue to be denied the hospital we deserve, the kind of localised treatment strategy he is suggesting could be implemented at very low cost?

[Connor Naismith]

I agree with the hon. Member that we must move care into the community. Where we are not able to build hospitals as quickly as we would like to, community care is so important.

The NHS needs to be reformed to serve an ageing population, taking long-term patient care out of hospitals and putting care back into the heart of communities. We need more joined-up proactive, health and social care services, and we need to change our mindset from sickness to prevention. In support of that, the NHS Confederation set out in a recent report that working more at the neighbourhood level, which the Government intend to do, can improve people’s health and wellbeing.

I appreciate the efforts and sentiments from the Liberal Democrats today, but big promises with no clear plan are what got us into this mess to begin with. Empty words to gain votes have destroyed voters’ confidence in our politics, and only a sensible Government with a credible plan for delivery of their commitments will restore that trust, so I am thankful that this Government’s approach has been to set out a clear plan to deliver. Labour is the party of the NHS, from the original conception of the service back in the ’40s to the modern day. I am confident that, as we have already seen in the example I cited from Leighton, this Government will deliver for the British people.

Oral Answers to Questions

Connor Naismith Excerpts

Tuesday 11th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Ashley Dalton]

The Darzi review highlighted that there were too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise actions. There has been no reduction in women’s health services. The Government are committed to prioritising women’s health as we build an NHS that is fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. Women’s health hubs, which provide integrated women’s health services in the community, have a key role in tackling the inequalities faced by women. The Department has invested £25 million over 2023-24 and 2024-25 to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system.

[Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)]

9. Whether he has had discussions with NHS England on including vasa praevia screening as part of antenatal care.

[The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)]

I thank my hon. Friend for his ongoing work in raising awareness in maternity services. We are committed to improving maternity care for women and babies. Evidence does not currently support screening for vasa praevia in the UK, but we have asked the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to review the guidance around this issue.

[Connor Naismith]

My constituent Cate Maddison suffered with severe vasa praevia in childbirth. This condition causes severe bleeding and can often result in the death of infants in childbirth and complications for the mother. However, the risks are significantly reduced when identified during pregnancy. Thankfully, Cate’s child survived, but she is campaigning to reduce unnecessary complications and deaths arising from the condition. Will the Minister meet me and Cate to discuss how we can tackle this important issue?

[Karin Smyth]

I am incredibly sorry to hear about Cate’s experience. We want to ensure that women receive safe, personalised and compassionate maternity care and that women with the condition are supported. That is why we have asked the college to look at the guidance. I will of course be happy to meet my hon. Friend and his constituent.