Oral Answers to Questions

Tobias Ellwood Excerpts

Wednesday 13th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con)]

Q4. Armed forces personnel who serve their country for 15 years are eligible for the medal for long service and good conduct. Similar medals are in place for those who make a career serving in the police, the fire service, the ambulance service and the coastguard. As I learned on a recent visit to Royal Bournemouth Hospital, where I met the dedicated staff, no such accolade is in place for the NHS. Will the Prime Minister support my campaign to see whether that anomaly can be corrected, so the nation can formally recognise those who devote much of their working lives in the NHS to helping others?

[The Prime Minister]

My right hon. Friend is right that our incredible NHS staff deserve our utmost thanks for their service. I am pleased that many NHS organisations, as he knows, have their own schemes in place to do that. We also recognise outstanding NHS staff through our honours system, and MPs are able to acknowledge their work through the NHS parliamentary awards. Nominations remain open and I encourage colleagues to avail themselves of that scheme. I will make sure that my right hon. Friend gets to meet the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to discuss his specific proposals further.