Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tom Pursglove

Tuesday 21st March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I accept responsibility for everything that happens in the NHS, including the fact that, compared with 2010, we are seeing 2,500 more patients within four hours every single day. We are also seeing a big increase in demand, which is why there were particular measures in the Budget to make sure that we return to the 95% target, including £2 billion for social care, which is £2 billion more than the Labour party promised for social care at the election.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

The urgent care centre at Corby has done much to relieve the pressures on Kettering A&E, and it is a class leader. Given the announcement of £100 million for new triaging projects, would the Secretary of State like to visit the Corby urgent care centre to see this beacon of best practice at first hand?

[Mr Hunt]

That is a very generous offer, and if I possibly can, I would love to take my hon. Friend up on it.

NHS Shared Business Services

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tom Pursglove

Monday 27th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

For the second time, it was £2.2 million.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State reassure the House that appropriate staffing resources have been made available throughout to deal with the backlogs, not just nationally but in the east midlands?

[Mr Hunt]

We have always been concerned to make sure that, because of the extra administrative work involved in going through more than 700,000 records, other patients using the NHS do not find that their care is delayed. We made extra resources available for GP practices so that they could do that without interrupting the ordinary work that they have to do for their patients.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tom Pursglove

Tuesday 7th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Corby and east Northamptonshire is taking thousands and thousands of new homes. What reassurance can Ministers give to my constituents that GP services will keep up with housing growth?

[Mr Hunt]

I can absolutely reassure my hon. Friend that we take that into account in all the funding we give for NHS primary care, but it depends on having a strong economy. That is something this Government will always do for the NHS.

CQC: NHS Deaths Review

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tom Pursglove

Tuesday 13th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

In fairness to the hon. Gentleman, he makes two important points. I know that he worked very closely with James Titcombe, who is one of his constituents.

We are now learning the right way to deal with the tension between accountability and having a learning culture. Essentially, this boils down to an understanding that 98% of the time a mistake is made because of a systems problem—a structure or a framework that did not enable a doctor or a nurse to operate to the best of their ability—while 2%, 1% or perhaps even less of the time it is a case of genuine negligence by an individual that deserves full accountability. When we understand it in that way, we start to realise that the first thing to ask is what could be changed in the system, but if we uncover bad behaviour by individuals—there are 1.3 million people in the NHS, so it is obviously going to happen at some stage—then there of course needs to be full accountability.

On the tone of these exchanges, let me say something optimistic: I really do believe that the NHS can become the safest, highest-quality healthcare system in the world. That would be welcomed by the Labour party, as the party that was in power when the NHS was set up, and we would welcome it as part of our absolute commitment to higher standards in public services. There is no country in the world that is even considering what we have announced today, which is to ask hospitals to publish the number of their avoidable deaths on a quarterly basis. It is a very big step that can happen in a system built around public service.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Kevin, the son of my constituent Desmond Watts, suffered from very significant learning difficulties and was neglected in a care home in the county, which led to his tragic death. This was completely avoidable. Des has never seen justice for Kevin, but I know that he would want my right hon. Friend to consider whether it is possible to apply to social care some of the principles that he has set out today. I join the right hon. Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) in encouraging him to do that.

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend makes a really important point. I will have discussions with the Minister responsible for social care, the Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington South (David Mowat), about what we can do in the social care field. I am optimistic that we can do something, because if we make this part of the framework of the new CQC inspection regime—obviously, that has to happen with the consent of the CQC—we can create a very strong incentive for adult social care providers to do what we want and to follow what is happening in the NHS.

NHS Funding

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tom Pursglove

Monday 31st October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

I am very proud of the Government’s funding record, but does my right hon. Friend agree that it is also crucial to make the right strategic decisions? For example, it was a Conservative-led Government with a Conservative Health Secretary who delivered the urgent care centre in Corby, which has transformed health opportunities in our area and taken pressure off our A&E.

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Although I was not personally responsible for the decision in Corby, I am very happy to take credit for it.

Junior Doctors Contract

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tom Pursglove

Monday 30th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

What assessment has the Secretary of State made of both the cost and the wasted NHS resources that will result from any strike action?

[Mr Hunt]

I cannot provide my hon. Friend with that information this afternoon, because we do not yet know whether the strike will go ahead tomorrow, and how many operations will end up being cancelled in advance of it because of the late notice, but I am happy to get that information for him when we have an estimate.

NHS Reform

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Tom Pursglove

Thursday 16th July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

That is an important recommendation, and the Government support it. We intend to implement it, but there are costs involved, which we are going through as part of the spending review process.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Local people in Corby and east Northamptonshire want to see a truly seven-day NHS. One way of achieving that in our area is to get moving on the new urgent care centre at Kettering, which has attracted cross-party support. Some Members could learn valuable lessons from that project and from what has been going on in Northamptonshire. I thank Ministers for all that they have done in the past to help get that project moving. Will the Secretary of State do everything he can to help it come to fruition in the months ahead?