NHS: Winter Preparedness

Danny Beales Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

It is as if the ghost of Christmas past has come to visit: one of my predecessors is here to remind the BMA of what it used to have to deal with. Perhaps the BMA will be a bit more content with the ghost of Christmas present—and that is before we are threatened by the ghost of Christmas future—[Laughter.] I am being slightly tongue in check, but the right hon. Gentleman asks a serious question, and I will treat it seriously.

We put in evidence to the pay review body process. The pay review body will make its recommendation, which we will consider. We are in active discussions with Agenda for Change unions about whether we can reach an agreement on future years, including exploration of the prospect of a multi-year offer. I have made the same approach to all health unions, including the BMA and resident doctors. The challenge with resident doctors is that their expectations are some way from affordability. They are asking for a 24% pay rise on top of the 28.9% they have already had. That is not acceptable. As the right hon. Gentleman’s question implies, I have a responsibility to the entire NHS workforce, particularly the Agenda for Change staff, who have not done as well as doctors. Addressing that is not only a practical issue for me, but a moral one.

[Danny Beales (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Lab)]

First, I associate myself strongly with the Secretary of State’s comments about today’s regrettable decision by the BMA and its members.

In the light of the pressures of flu and RSV, does my right hon. Friend think it is time to ask the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to look again at its recommendations on the ages at which the two vaccines are made available? Specifically on RSV in infants, does he think it is time to ask NHS England to look again at the decision to switch from an infant-based delivery model to a maternal-based delivery model on the ground of cost, without taking into account the lower infant RSV vaccination uptake now?

[Wes Streeting]

I thank my hon. Friend for his support and questions. We will indeed reflect on our performance after this winter, just as we did after last winter. He raised interesting points about the way in which we deliver vaccines. As for the questions about eligibility and timing, we rely on the expert advice of the JCVI, which will also look at the data on how this winter has panned out. We look forward to receiving its recommendations in due course.