Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ruth Cadbury and Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I share my hon. Friend’s concern. I read a moving report about a pastor in Chengdu who has suffered greatly. We raised these concerns during the universal periodic review that we did with China in November 2018, and I regularly raise concerns about human rights issues with my Chinese counterpart. One of the reasons for doing the review is to ensure that I am properly informed on matters of religious freedom.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

Given the Minister for the Middle East’s earlier expression of support for UNRWA and the concern about the alternative education that Palestinian children might receive if UNRWA pulls out, will the UK Government consider filling the vacuum resulting from the withdrawal of US leadership in this important service?

Gosport Independent Panel: Publication of Report

Debate between Ruth Cadbury and Jeremy Hunt

Wednesday 20th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I think that that is actually an excellent point, and we should definitely look at it. Big hospitals have clear lines of accountability—boards, chief executives—but those often do not exist in community hospitals and there is no one who can say they are the boss of that trust, so we should look at that.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

The grandmother of one of my constituents died in Gosport War Memorial Hospital in January 1999—in other words, after concerns were being raised by families and by staff at the hospital. The family believe that her morphine dose was well above that needed for her reported pain. I thank the Health Secretary for the tone of his statement, and I also thank Bishop Jones for the work he did on this inquiry. Does the Secretary of State believe that this report shows a need for tightening the draft Health Service Safety Investigations Bill?

[Mr Hunt]

I thank the hon. Lady for her comments. I do not want to jump to a conclusion about any changes to the draft Bill. However, we should definitely reflect on any legislative changes that might be needed as a result of this report, and that Bill could be a very powerful vehicle for doing so.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Debate between Ruth Cadbury and Jeremy Hunt

Thursday 10th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is worth saying that the tragedy that sparked this report happened before the new CQC inspection regime had got under way. The old CQC regime was rather a tick-box approach, partly because the people doing the inspections were often not doctors who could make peer-review judgments about the quality of services. If someone is not a doctor, there is a tendency to want to tick yes or no in reply to a question rather than to deal with the underlying issues. Having judgment in our inspections will be a very important step forward.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

This investigation would not have happened if it had not been for the tenacity and work of Sara Ryan, Connor Sparrowhawk’s mother. Is it right that the family’s legal representation was funded by crowdsourcing?

[Mr Hunt]

I think it is tragic when anyone has to resort to the courts to get justice. Sara Ryan is one of many who have had to go to huge out-of-pocket expenses to get justice and the truth with respect to their loved ones. Last week, I went to the launch of James Titcombe’s book. He campaigned for years and years to get justice and the truth about the death of his son, Joshua. That is exactly what we have to change.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ruth Cadbury and Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday 17th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

T2. I strongly associate myself and my colleagues with the remarks of the Secretary of State about the atrocities in France this weekend. What assessment has the right hon. Gentleman made of the impact of housing problems on the difficult task of recruiting and retaining clinical staff, particularly nurses in London and London’s NHS?

[Mr Hunt]

I do think it is a serious problem. People find it hard to live near to the hospital at which they work, particularly where housing is very expensive. This is an issue that we are looking at closely.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ruth Cadbury and Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday 13th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

We also have Australian paramedics working in the UK, particularly London, so that traffic goes both ways, but, as the hon. Lady will know, health is a devolved matter, and people follow their own paths. For England, we are determined to eliminate the weekend effect. Every year, there are 11,000 excess deaths as a result of inadequate cover at weekends, and we do not want that to continue.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

2. How much additional investment there will be in children and young people’s mental health services in 2015-16.