Oral Answers to Questions

Lucy Allan Excerpts

Tuesday 14th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con)]

8. What steps he is taking to raise the quality of leadership and management across the health and social care sectors.

[Lucy Allan (Telford) (Con)]

16. What steps he is taking to raise the quality of leadership and management across the health and social care sectors.

[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Sajid Javid)]

In health and care, strong leadership can make the difference between life and death. I have been clear that we can accept only the highest possible standards and that in some cases poor leadership has been tolerated for too long. That is why I have accepted in full the recommendations of General Sir Gordon Messenger’s independent review and will set out a delivery plan to begin what I think will be the biggest shake-up in health and social care leadership in a generation.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lucy Allan]

Orthopaedic surgery at the Princess Royal Hospital has still not restarted since the pandemic. That is causing huge suffering for those who have been waiting for surgery, in some cases for several years. A hip replacement is transformative to quality of life and reduces other care needs, but orthopaedic surgeons continue to be paid despite not operating, and no alternative is being offered to patients—they are not even being given an expected operation date. Will implementing the Messenger review require NHS leadership to be more accountable to the public so that decisions such as refusing to restart much-needed surgery can be challenged?

[Mr Speaker]

This is a strange grouping, but it is a very important question, so do answer it, please.