Health and Adult Social Care Reform

Graham Stuart Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

I warmly congratulate Professor Richard Field on his clinical leadership, which has made a difference to countless lives, not only in my hon. Friend’s part of London but because of the national example that he set, which many others followed. That confirms my strong conviction that the best innovations will come from great clinicians. It is our determination to make sure that senior leadership in the NHS and in government back great clinical leadership and innovation, and take the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS.

[Graham Stuart (Beverley and Holderness) (Con)]

The Secretary of State said that 12,000 patients had to stay in hospital beds because of a lack of social care, yet we have it kicked down the road once again. What will Louise Casey tell us that we do not already know about the tough political trade-offs that have led successive Governments to fail to create a truly coherent health and social care system, and what will he do to make sure that we meet needs today, as he exemplified in November?

[Wes Streeting]

Once again, the arsonist is complaining that the fire brigade is not doing a quick enough job. We are a bit sick of it on the Government Benches, but we are at least rolling up our sleeves, getting on with the job and making improvements, and we will continue to do that. I heard the same complaints about Darzi: “What can Darzi tell us that we did not already know?” Quite a lot, actually. The Conservatives should hang their heads in shame for it.