Income Tax (Charge)

Mike Reader Excerpts

Tuesday 5th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mike Reader (Northampton South) (Lab)]

I welcome the Government’s commitment to fixing our national health service and delivering the real change that my constituents in Northampton South voted for in July. Northampton South is home to four hospitals: our general hospital; St Andrew’s and Berrywood hospitals, which both provide fantastic mental health care provision; and the Three Shires hospital, which is part of the Circle Health network. Despite all that choice, time and again, constituents tell me that they struggle to get appointments. Each week at my constituency surgeries, and in my inbox, I learn of residents across Northampton South who are desperate to see a doctor or secure an appointment for much-needed surgery. As their representative in this House, I have a duty to speak up for them, and to welcome the changes that this Budget will bring to their life. I am particularly proud that it delivers funding for 40,000 additional appointments every single week. That commitment means that more residents in Northampton will get the care they need, when they need it. That means fewer days off work, less time in pain, and, more importantly, better health outcomes.

Having joined this House from the construction sector—I should declare that my team was working in the new hospital programme supply chain—I think we must be honest about the state of our NHS buildings. The previous Government’s empty promise of 40 new hospitals became a national embarrassment—a classic example of a headline-grabbing announcement that delivered little for our communities. Instead, this Budget delivers real, tangible investment: £3.1 billion in capital funding, including £1 billion to tackle the critical maintenance backlog. In Northampton, we know all too well the impact of ageing NHS infrastructure. Northampton general hospital and our sister hospital Kettering general have served our community well, but are showing signs of age. Unlike many Members here, I will not ask the Treasury for more money for my hospital; I support my local integrated care board’s calls for major investment in Kettering, just down the road. I hope that the review of the new hospital programme, once complete, will see a positive outcome for our county.

I finish by acknowledging the dedication of our NHS staff in Northampton South. The doctors, nurses, specialists, healthcare assistants, porters, cleaners, managers and administrators who keep our NHS running deserve our thanks and support. This Budget gives them the resources they need to do their jobs effectively in buildings that are fit for purpose, with technology that works for them, rather than against them. This Budget delivers our first steps in building an NHS fit for the future.