Health and Adult Social Care Reform

Matt Rodda Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

Before Christmas—I appreciate that it was just before, but I wanted to get out the certainty to general practitioners before we all went off for Christmas—we announced the biggest uplift in funding for general practice in a considerable number of years, and we will now negotiate the contract in the usual way. That should give general practitioners the stability and certainty to know that this Government are determined to fix the front door to the NHS.

The other thing I would say to the Opposition is that they cannot continue to welcome the investment while opposing the means of raising it, unless they spell out which services they would cut or which other taxes they would increase. They do not have an answer; they do not have a leg to stand on.

[Matt Rodda (Reading Central) (Lab)]

I warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s statement, and his emphasis on investment and reform. Will he say a little more about the important role of training for staff and investment in new technologies such as AI to speed up diagnostics?

[Wes Streeting]

Of the many great possibilities and opportunities facing this country are our strengths in life sciences and medical technology. If we can combine the strength of our scientific and technological base with the ingenuity and care of our NHS staff and our ability to deliver at scale with the model that was designed in 1948, which is well served to take us well into the 21st century, the sky is the limit for what we can achieve. We will have to support staff through that revolution. I appreciate that for many staff working in the NHS today they would be grateful if the machine simply turned on when they turned up for work.