Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Conor McGinn

Tuesday 20th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Conor McGinn (St Helens North) (Lab)]

8. What plans his Department has to help the NHS deal with pressures on services in winter 2016-17.

[The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt)]

Last year, the number of excess winter deaths was 45% lower than in the previous year, and contingency planning for this winter is well under way, with £400 million allocated to local health systems for winter preparedness.

[Conor McGinn]

This time last year, St Helens CCG told me it needed to postpone elective operations and referrals in order to get through winter. Six months later, it was £12.5 million in deficit and proposing to cancel all non-urgent surgery indefinitely. What the Health Secretary is proposing does not make the problems go away—it stores them up. When will the Government give local trusts and clinicians the funding they require? Stop passing the buck and start passing the bucks!

[Mr Hunt]

With the greatest respect, I do not think it is passing the buck to put £1.3 billion more into the NHS this year than the hon. Gentleman was proposing at the last election. A lot of actions are being taken in Cheshire and Merseyside; a local accident and emergency delivery board was set up, which is doing very important work, and the emergency care improvement programme is working very well at his local trust.