Speeches by Robertson.

“Q By the look of it, you have had an easier life than I have had. I have a fairly brief question. This morning, we heard representations that the SAF mandate is enough in that it creates the demand and requirements that the market will adjust to and fulfil, and that the Bill is therefore not needed. I invite your thoug…”

“Good to hear it.”

“The plan is, we have agreed, a set of good aims—there is nothing hugely revolutionary or radical in terms of the overarching themes. My view is that the one opportunity you have to succeed in areas where, perhaps, other Governments have only partially succeeded, is the delivery—how we do the change. But there is so lit…”

“And the Chancellor is on board with the money?”

“When Tony Blair and Alan Milburn were doing this in the 2000s, as you said, and delivering the sort of healthcare you would like to see, they were increasing health spending by 6.8% year on year on health. You and Rachel Reeves have a plan to spend 2.7%, according to the last Budget. So how are you going to deliver whi…”

“Perhaps you can help. What is the difference between community diagnostic centres, multidisciplinary GP surgeries and Darzi centres—and now your word for it, neighbourhood hubs? These things have run since the year 2000, then 2008, 2012, and now your plan. They sound like the same thing, just with different names—your …”

“Is this a “Back to the Future”? Are you Doc Brown taking us back to the year 2000 to sort out the NHS all over again?”

“So my concern is that absolutely none of this is new—well-meaning, well intentioned, but not new—because the two quotes I have just given you are lifted directly from Alan Milburn’s NHS plan in the year 2000.”

“Can I try another one, which I hope you will agree is on a theme—a different one, but nevertheless still a theme? To quote: “The NHS has been too slow to change its ways of working to meet modern patient expectations for fast, convenient, 24 hour, personalised care” and, “Changes in primary care will help ease the pres…”

“Good afternoon, Secretary of State. I am going to stick with some of the bigger themes that we dealt with at the beginning—in fact, you have already touched on some of them. I quote: “investment has to be accompanied by reform. The NHS has to be redesigned around the needs of the patient. Local hospitals cannot be run …”

“Given that the Government’s plan for change tracking dashboard is still in development, can I ask the Minister to include a column or facility to track all the U-turns—or, as the Government may prefer to call it, “The Changes to the Plan for Change (Subject to Change)”? That way, the public can see where those U-turns …”

“14. What progress he has made on publishing a tracking dashboard for the plan for change metrics.”

“I suspect that quite a few ICBs will feel a bit relieved and will feel a release of accountability with Healthwatch abolished, because, speaking from experience, it has certainly been very valuable in holding ICBs’ feet to the fire. It sounds like I am going to have to come to you directly to sort out Hampshire and Isl…”

“Minister, I know that for you and your Government, a key theme in your plans is devolution and having decisions made locally where possible. Speaking as a local MP and local councillor who used to sit on our health policy and scrutiny committee, one of our biggest and best tools for holding our ICB and other decision m…”

“My local Healthwatch, which is currently very valuable in scrutinising and holding the ICB to account, will have its functions merged into the ICB. Clearly, there is no longer that separation and independence of scrutiny.”

“So my local Isle of Wight Healthwatch is going to be merged into the directorate?”

“Let us finish by going back to the beginning. You criticised the “Find a dentist” tool and said that it was not fit for purpose. That is the sort of opinion that is valuable, and we would see on a local level. When you are abolished, who will be able to provide that honest, independent viewpoint to help decision makers…”

“My experience of local Healthwatch has certainly been valuable to assist others in holding to account, and obviously providing information. More generally, does Healthwatch have any insights or opinions it would be helpful to share about tackling dental deserts, or meeting the needs of patients with the greatest dental…”

“Joe Robertson, Isle of Wight East. I am thinking about Healthwatch and its abolition soon. Certainly in my local experience on the Isle of Wight, Healthwatch has played a really valuable role in advocating for patients, particularly in dentistry, where we have a desert. It has certainly helped local councillors, throug…”

“As the Secretary of State knows, the biggest connectivity issue for the Isle of Wight is its ferry services. I welcome her engagement on that issue. Might she consider cross-Solent ferry services to be part of the UK’s road and rail network? The Isle of Wight’s roads and rail are connected to the rest of the UK only vi…”