A and E (Major Incidents)

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Helen Goodman

Wednesday 7th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

We absolutely do that. Telephones and the internet provide different ways to get the right advice to people quickly. The 111 service is taking a considerable amount of strain at the moment, and we have put in more money to support it. We are investing a lot more in tele-health and tele-medicine, and a lot more to help GPs who want to give people out-of-hours appointments. In the long run, that is the way we will reduce the kinds of pressures that my hon. Friend talks about.

[Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

Over three years ago, I raised with Ministers problems about the North East ambulance service that had been pointed out to me by the paramedics, but unfortunately they were brushed aside. My constituent, Violet Alliston, had the terrible experience of her partner ringing for an ambulance three times in the course of an hour before the ambulance came. She then died. This is obviously completely unacceptable. Why will not the Secretary of State look again at the resources he is taking out of the North East ambulance service, the skills base of the call handlers, and the triage system?

[Mr Hunt]

I am extremely sorry to hear the story that the hon. Lady talks about, and I know that the NHS will investigate it fully. We are not cutting resources to ambulances, though. We have 2,000 more paramedics than four years ago, and £50 million is being put in this winter. Of course, we need to look very carefully into the particular case that she mentions and make sure that any lessons are learned.

A and E Departments

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Helen Goodman

Tuesday 21st May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

Of course. I have visited Kettering hospital myself and seen just how hard people are working there. They are doing a terrific job. My hon. Friend is right to say that the significant increase in attendance has been driven by changes in the local population.

[Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

The basic problem with the 111 service is the national specification of the triage system. The ambulance drivers in my constituency warned of this two years ago when the service was trialled, and last year the north-east local medical committee also told the Department of Health that the system was not working. It is the Secretary of State who has his head in the sand. Why does he not listen to the professionals on the ground?

[Mr Hunt]

I am listening. I have said that we have teething problems and that we want to sort them out. I am prepared to look at the whole of the 111 service to see whether it is delivering the service that the public need. However, I would say to the hon. Lady that the issues with 111 have focused public attention on the poor standard of out-of-hours care in many parts of the country. There is a particular issue of enabling people to speak out of hours to a GP who can, with their permission, look at their medical record, which is a pretty basic starting point. Until we sort that out, we will not be able to sort out the wider issue of confidence in 111.

NHS Commissioning Board (Mandate)

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Helen Goodman

Tuesday 13th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I absolutely agree. That can be hugely transformational in terms of patient outcomes. Many patients would be astonished to know that a full medical record is not available to consultants in hospitals before they operate on them. We need to put that right because it could transform the decisions that surgeons take in extreme cases. So my hon. Friend is right, and we must press on with this very fast.

[Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

The Secretary of State and the whole Government are keen to deliver public services using the internet and online. He mentioned in particular people with long-term conditions being able to communicate with their doctors online. The Department for Work and Pensions has found that 6.5 million people who will be entitled to universal credit have never used a computer. Has he any knowledge at all of how many of those with long-term conditions are computer literate?

[Mr Hunt]

Some will be, some won’t be, but the hon. Lady should not underestimate the computer literacy of people who are adopting the internet at breakneck speed, including the 40% of pensioners who now do their banking online.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Helen Goodman

Thursday 9th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

We have had very good discussions. There is good news and bad news as far as Northern Ireland is concerned. The funding allocation has been quite small for Northern Ireland, but that is because it has one of the best superfast broadband networks in the UK and, in many ways, is a model for the rest of the country.

[Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

I would like to bring a little reality to this debate. My constituency covers rural Teesdale, so I know that farmers are being required to communicate online with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs even when they have no broadband. Given that the problem is in rural areas, why did the Secretary of State earmark £150 million of new money for cities? What is he going to do for people whose local authorities do not come forward with viable plans?

[Mr Hunt]

The hon. Lady ought to have a bit of humility, because when her Government left office, a quarter of a million homes still had no broadband whatsoever. We are going to sort that out. We have massively increased the investment in rural broadband. It is five times more than the amount that is going into urban broadband. Her party makes a big song and dance about opposing cuts, but in the interests of consistency, it might like to support increases in spending, particularly when they are much more than her Government ever promised.

Phone Hacking and the Media

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Helen Goodman

Monday 11th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I have to inform my hon. Friend that I am not legally allowed to put a pause in the process until any criminal proceedings have come to a conclusion. However, I will take as much time as I need. I am very well aware of public concern on this issue. The Competition Commission will report in six months’ time, and there will then be a subsequent period of intensive discussions. During that period I am very hopeful that we will properly resolve the “fit and proper person” issue, because I am aware of how important it is to Members of all parties.

[Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

One of the reasons for operating a positive vetting system in Whitehall is to see whether officials might be susceptible to blackmail. Following the horrific revelations from News International, it appears that Mr Coulson would be a prime candidate for blackmail. Was he positively vetted?

[Mr Hunt]

I am afraid that I do not know the answer to that question.