Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2026
National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation
May I add my thanks to Baroness Amos? I join the Secretary of State in emphasising the importance of culture change, but culture change will not happen without accountability. In all the conversations I had with families who were suffering bereavement, harm to themselves or harm to their children, w…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2026
Defence Investment Plan
Of course, this Government would not have such an uphill mountain to climb were it not for the decisions taken by our predecessors. I really think the Conservatives would have more credibility if they acknowledged that fact more readily and with more humility than they have shown today, and on every…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
11 June 2026
Topical Questions
T8. The Minister has seen at first hand the disruption and misery caused by the closure of the Broadmead Road bridge for safety reasons. He will also be aware from his visit that the cost of repairs dwarfs what the London borough of Redbridge is able to afford. What support can the Department for Tr…
Commons
Debate
20 May 2026
2 contributions
Defence Readiness
I begin by joining others in expressing my condolences to the family of Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan. It is a pleasure to follow my parliamentary neighbour, the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith), despite our best efforts to retire him at the last general e…
The shadow Secretary of State mentions “bankrupting the country.” I think he is thinking about Liz Truss and the joyride that he was no doubt cheering on. A period of silence, or at least an apology, might be welcome from those on the Conservative Front Bench.
We need to recognise that a nation dra…
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
13 contributions
Topical Questions
I am delighted to announce that we are investing in 36 new and better community diagnostic centres in shopping centres and high streets across England. This is what a Labour Government deliver: the biggest expansion in diagnostics in a generation, shorter waits for tests, checks and scans, and an NH…
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that case. It is shocking but sadly not surprising, because the injuries sustained by women during childbirth are often completely ignored as well as going unaddressed. We have to learn from the case raised by my hon. Friend to ensure that constituents suc…
+11 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
5 contributions
NHS Waiting Lists
We inherited from the Conservatives an NHS facing the worst crisis in its history, with waiting lists at a record 7.6 million and public satisfaction at record lows. This Labour Government are getting the NHS back on its feet and making it fit for the future. We have delivered record numbers of appo…
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for all the work he is doing, including with our Labour team in Worthing, to improve the health of people across his constituency. I congratulate staff at University Hospitals Sussex on the progress that they have made in bringing waiting lists down. To help them to g…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
3 contributions
Muslims: NHS
It is vital that all forms of discrimination in the NHS are tackled, including Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred. As a former chair of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, I am delighted that the Government have adopted a definition of anti-Muslim hostility that we will use to tac…
Those statistics are shocking and a stark reminder that the NHS is not immune from the prejudices at large in wider society. All Muslim staff and patients—indeed, people of all faiths—should feel safe and confident as patients and staff in the NHS. As my hon. Friend knows, I am awaiting the review b…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
6 contributions
Maternity Care
I remain deeply concerned by the state of the maternity services that we inherited. Although the majority of births go well, I know through the courage of families and concerned staff of the devastating impact that comes from failures in care. That is why I asked Baroness Amos to chair an independen…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to present those issues and to be honest about the challenges that have been raised in his local trust. I assure him that following an inspection by the CQC, NHS trusts take action to address the recommendations cited in the report. Already, £40 million in funding …
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
3 contributions
Hospital Trusts: Performance
Under Labour, the NHS is on the road to recovery: with an extra £26 billion invested, 2,000 extra GPs and 100 community diagnostic centres now open weekdays and weekends, waiting lists are coming down and patient satisfaction is going up—lots done, but so much more to do to ensure that that improvem…
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her question and for the work that she has been doing on behalf of the people of Thurrock to speak up consistently for improving services and to expose failures at her local trust. As I told listeners to BBC Essex this morning, I will always report back on the thi…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
26 March 2026
8 contributions
Resident Doctors: Industrial Action
With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on the proposed industrial action by resident doctors.
Yesterday evening, the British Medical Association called its latest round of strikes for 7 to 13 April, immediately following the long Easter bank holiday weekend. The announcement…
I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his response and questions. Beneath some of the criticism of the Government was a consistent message about the unreasonable and unnecessary position of the BMA, but let me address his criticism none the less.
The shadow Secretary of State accused me of “boa…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 March 2026
25 contributions
Meningitis Outbreak
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the outbreak of meningococcal disease in Canterbury and east Kent.
My thoughts, and I am sure the thoughts of the entire House, are with the families and friends of the two young people who have sadly died. I cannot begin to understand wh…
I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his constructive response and support as we respond to this incident, and I welcome the way in which he has rightly brought scrutiny to the response. I should say from the outset that once we are through this, we will obviously look at the handling of the UK…
+23 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
8 contributions
Topical Questions
Today we are publishing a new GP contract. Backed by new funding, it will recruit more GPs and cut waiting times for appointments. The changes and modernisation will diagnose thousands more cases of lung cancer, protect children by boosting vaccination rates, and provide more people with weight-loss…
I see the Chancellor most weeks. That is why record investment is going into our NHS, which is improving patient satisfaction with access to general practice, cutting waiting lists, and improving ambulance response times—all to fix the mess that the Conservatives left behind. And people should be in…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
2 contributions
Sexual Violence Support Services: Funding
The Prime Minister has made tackling violence against women and girls a priority across the Government and every public service must play its part. In the NHS, we will be supporting GPs to identify, support and refer victims and survivors to specialist services. That will include a specialist suppor…
I wholeheartedly agree with the hon. Member. The voluntary and community sector provides, and should continue to provide, support for victims. The voluntary sector does a brilliant job, in an environment that often feels safer and more inclusive, and we should welcome that. However, the existence of…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
3 contributions
Cancer Diagnosis
Cancer is the canary in the coalmine for the NHS. For far too many cancer patients, under the Tories, the NHS was not there when they needed it. Under Labour, an extra 213,000 patients have been diagnosed, or have received the all-clear on time. Much has been done, but there is much more to do. I pa…
My hon. Friend is right that leukaemia patients are disproportionately diagnosed too late. We are working with GPs to ensure that they are better prepared to spot symptoms or concerning blood test results, so that we can cut out avoidable delays. The real difference, however, will come with the intr…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
4 contributions
Health and Social Care: Rural Communities
Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Government and Labour Members, may I associate myself with your remarks? Members from right across this House will share those sentiments. As the Prime Minister made clear at Cabinet this morning, and as the Foreign Secretary is making clear in Kyiv, we will stand with U…
I wholeheartedly agree with my hon. Friend. This Labour Government are introducing the first ever fair pay agreement for care workers. That is better pay and conditions for care workers, and more people recruited into the profession. It is backed by £500 million, and Scotland will receive extra fund…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
14 January 2026
Engagements
Commons
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
15 contributions
Topical Questions
Today, we are bringing forward the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill. It implements our commitment in the 10-year plan for health to prioritise UK medical graduates and doctors with significant NHS experience for medical training posts. Taxpayers spend £4 billion training medics every year. It …
My hon. Friend is right; we have to shift care out of hospitals and closer to people’s homes to make sure that we do not end up with the situation he describes. I know that he is doing a lot of work on that in his community, and I am very happy to meet him to hear about his findings and what we can …
+13 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
5 contributions
A&E Waiting Times
Regardless of the challenges this winter presents, this is a Government who are facing into them. We have vaccinated over 17 million people this winter, which is 350,000 more than this time last year and 60,000 more NHS staff. We are not out of the woods yet by any stretch, but I can give an example…
I absolutely join my hon. Friend in thanking NHS staff in Harlow and across the country for their incredible efforts during the toughest winter weeks. I particularly thank all those staff who have supported their colleagues and worked throughout Christmas and new year, sacrificing time with their fa…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
6 contributions
Maternity and Neonatal Care
As the House knows, I am deeply concerned by the state of maternity care in the NHS that we inherited. While the majority of births go well, I know from the courage of families who have spoken up and the concern of staff that devastating impacts are arising from failures in care. That is why I asked…
Everyone accessing maternity care should be offered a personalised care and support plan, informed by a personalised risk assessment. That is so women have more control over their own care based on what matters to them and their individual needs and preferences, as well as to ensure that every woman…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
3 contributions
Community Hospital Services
Rural and coastal constituencies, like South Dorset, are at the heart of our shift in the 10-year plan from hospitals to communities. Not only does everyone deserve care closer to where they live and work, but people in rural and coastal areas often see the sharp end of health inequalities. After 15…
I can well understand why my hon. Friend is particularly concerned about the impact of changes on cancer patients. I know that his integrated care board has heard his representations, and it will have heard them again today; I am sure it will be happy to meet with him, as will my hon. Friend the Min…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
3 contributions
NHS Staff
May I associate Labour Members with your condolences, Mr Speaker?
I am hugely grateful to NHS staff for the shift that they have put in through what remains a challenging winter. It is because of them that waiting lists are going down and ambulance handover times are 14 minutes quicker this winter …
I am hugely grateful to my hon. Friend for his question and he is rightly proud of his local trust. It is absolutely right that we cannot expect the NHS to rely simply on the goodwill of staff going above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of patients. That is why the Government are commi…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Proceedings
17 December 2025
32 contributions
Puberty Suppressants Trial
Let me just start by acknowledging the sensitivities around this issue and the strong beliefs held around this House. For all the division and divided opinion, I believe that there is a determination shared by everyone in this House to do the right thing by a vulnerable group of children and young p…
The shadow Minister asks, “Why?” There is a simple answer. It is because this was recommended by Dr Cass in the Cass review, which was commissioned by my predecessor, Sir Sajid Javid. I think that was the right thing to do, and it is why, when my predecessor brought forward the Cass review, I suppor…
+30 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
15 December 2025
37 contributions
NHS: Winter Preparedness
The NHS’s national medical director says:
“This unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario”.
This is backed up by the data. On any given day last week, an average of 2,500 patients were in hospital beds—a 55% increase on the week before, and almost double the n…
I will ignore the political nonsense about banning strikes and clamping down on trade unions. I will, however, take on directly the charge that we have not prepared for this winter.
We have delivered over 17 million flu vaccinations this season—hundreds of thousands more than this time last year—an…
+35 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 December 2025
26 contributions
Resident Doctors: Industrial Action
With permission, Madam Speaker Deputy, I shall make a statement on industrial action by resident doctors. I thank you, Mr Speaker, business managers and the official Opposition for facilitating this evening’s statement.
As we head into winter, our hospitals are running hot and the pressures on the …
First, I thank the shadow Health Secretary for the constructive terms on which he has agreed to work with the Government. That should give resident doctors across the country who receive their survey the confidence of knowing that, should they vote for this deal, emergency legislation will be introd…
+24 more contributions in this session