Health Bill

Debate between Karin Smyth and Andy McDonald

Report stage
Monday 7th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East) (Lab)]

I rise as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on spinal cord injury to speak to amendments 103 and 104, new clause 160 and amendment 105 in my name. I thank the Minister for meeting me during the passage of the Bill and for her subsequent letter. I also thank the Spinal Injuries Association for its support for the APPG and, crucially, for people living with spinal cord injury. These amendments are not about preventing reform; they are about ensuring that when responsibility for highly specialised services changes, patients continue to receive safe, equitable and nationally consistent care.

Spinal cord injury is a relatively low volume but complex lifelong condition requiring specialist expertise, rehabilitation and long-term follow-up. National commissioning exists to prevent fragmented services and postcode variation. If commissioning moves to integrated care boards, we need confidence that specialist workforce capacity, national standards and the sustainability of specialist centres will be protected. I therefore ask the Minister to clarify how those safeguards will work in practice, particularly around workforce, rehabilitation and geographical variation. I also seek clarity on whether spinal cord injury services will transfer to ICBs and what criteria will determine that decision.

Amendment 104 and new clause 160 would provide national assurance and parliamentary accountability for outcomes, access, workforce and geographical variation. Amendment 105 addresses the single patient record. Specialist charities provide vital practical and peer support after life-changing injury, even where they are not part of the clinical care. That is why this appeal is so resonant. If we can engage with those providers at that early stage, the outcomes will undoubtedly be improved. The amendment would allow referral, with patient consent, to approved condition-specific organisations sharing only necessary information.

I will not press these amendments to a vote today. I hope that the Minister will consider further safeguards and clarification during the Lords stages of the Bill. The care and access to support for patients dependent on specialist services should not depend on where those patients live.

[Karin Smyth]

I thank Members across the House for their contributions. As we would expect for a Bill of this size, it has been a wide-ranging debate, and I will not be able to address every single amendment, but I will try to cover them all in the time I have. If necessary, I will get back to people afterwards. As a Government, we know that what we have set out to do through this Bill is ambitious. We do not resile from that; we want to be ambitious. We are determined to make a real and positive change for people up and down the country who use the NHS, and throughout the Bill, we have remained focused on the key objectives. Those are to strengthen democratic accountability, strip back bureaucracy and empower patients.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Karin Smyth and Andy McDonald

Tuesday 19th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East) (Lab)]

Women with spinal cord injuries face significant challenges in accessing core health services, including breast screening, cervical screening and gynaecological care. Research shows that women with disabilities, including spinal cord issues, are 30% less likely to attend routine breast screening appointments, in significant part due to the physical inaccessibility of the screening equipment. Will the Minister meet me and representatives of the all-party parliamentary group on spinal cord injury to discuss these unacceptable disparities and ensure that women receive the equitable and accessible care they deserve?

[Karin Smyth]

My hon. Friend highlights a shocking example of inaccessibility in these important services. I will make sure that the Department responds to him and that either me or a ministerial colleague meets him.