Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rushanara Ali and Sajid Javid

Tuesday 19th April 2022 Commons Chamber

[Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab)]

5. What steps his Department is taking to tackle regional health inequalities.

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

I am determined to tackle unfair disparities in health outcomes. That is why I launched the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. OHID’s regional directors of public health will work with local government and the wider health system to empower local partners with the tools they need to respond to disparities in their regional and local areas. We will also publish a health disparities White Paper later this year, with a strong focus on prevention, to improve health for the whole population.

[Rushanara Ali]

I thank the Secretary of State for his answer, but a decade of under-investment and mismanagement have left 4.5 million people on waiting lists and staff shortages of more than 100,000 people even before we entered the pandemic, which exacerbated health inequalities. I welcome the work his Department is doing, but the reality is that people who live in a constituency such as mine are twice as likely to end up on a waiting list for treatment for more than a year as those in better-off areas. While I welcome what he has announced today, may I ask that he puts in appropriate investment to go along with tackling those appalling health inequalities?

[Sajid Javid]

The hon. Lady is right to talk about the importance of tackling health inequalities; on that we absolutely agree, and I hope she will contribute to the health disparities White Paper that I mentioned a moment ago. However, it is wrong of her to suggest that some of the current challenges we face are because of under-investment or because of a smaller workforce than otherwise. We have the largest investment ever going into the NHS. Its budget this year is bigger than the GDP of Greece. It is the highest amount ever, rising by billions each year. We also have more going to social care than ever before, and the highest level of workforce that the NHS has ever seen in its history.

Covid-19 Update

Debate between Rushanara Ali and Sajid Javid

Monday 6th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

Yes and yes.

[Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab)]

Will the Health Secretary update the House on whether we should expect an economic support package not just for the aviation sector but for tourism and other sectors that might be affected if further restrictions apply? Will he also say more about how we can ensure that provision of the covid vaccine, which is a global public good, can be accelerated so that countries that are at risk get the support they need? If we had acted faster, earlier, this particular variant might have been prevented. We need much more international leadership, led by our Government.

[Sajid Javid]

On vaccine donations, I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to a similar question. In terms of transport, I also refer her to an answer I gave previously.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rushanara Ali and Sajid Javid

Tuesday 19th October 2021 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

My hon. Friend is right to raise the importance of mental health and suicide. This is important, and I listened carefully to what he said. He knows that pharmacology already plays an important role in helping people with their mental health challenges, but he raises an interesting potential emerging treatment. He will know that scheduling is an issue for the Home Office, but I will be happy to meet him myself to discuss it further.

[Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab)]

T6. As the Secretary of State knows, the NHS is facing extreme pressure because of rising covid infection rates and hundreds of people still dying every week, and that is in the context of 5.6 million people on NHS waiting lists. Is it not time for the Health Secretary to revert to making mask wearing mandatory and to commit to suspending the reckless decision to charge for lateral flow tests in the coming months?

[Sajid Javid]

We have a plan for both the pandemic and other challenges over the winter, which we set out in detail. I remind the hon. Lady that we do not charge for lateral flow tests.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rushanara Ali and Sajid Javid

Tuesday 13th July 2021 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

Throughout the pandemic, my predecessor and other Ministers have rightly been working with the devolved Administrations, and of course that work continues; it will remain a priority. I myself have already started weekly meetings with all my counterparts in the devolved Administrations. We discuss a number of issues and keep each other informed, but we also respect that in certain areas, in dealing with this pandemic, we may take a different course.

[Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab) [V]]

I congratulate the Secretary of State on his appointment. Cases of covid rose by 30% last week compared with the previous week, and on 10 July we saw over 35,000 new cases, the highest since 22 January. By mid-August we could see 1,000 people a day being hospitalised, and up to 200 people a day could die, despite the excellent vaccination programmes. Given that the Secretary of State now considers it irresponsible not to wear masks, is it not equally irresponsible for the Government not to require people to continue to wear masks rather than leaving it as an option?

[Sajid Javid]

The hon. Lady understandably talks about the link between case numbers and hospitalisation. She will know that the last time we saw cases at 30,000 and above on a daily basis, we saw a lot more hospitalisations. The reason for the difference now is the vaccine wall of defence. Masks do have an important role to play, but we think that that role can be played by moving from regulation to guidance.