Speeches by Streeting.

“In terms of how we are thinking about the PPPs on neighbourhood health, in particular, there are definitely things at the forefront of our mind. One is making sure that you have simple and transparent payment mechanisms. Another is making sure that contract flexibility is built in to make sure that we have accommodatio…”

“My other observation is that, in the time that has passed since PFI was introduced, the skills and capability of the system have changed. We can go back and check, but there will probably be more people in commercial functions now in the Department and in NHS England than there were before. Obviously, I want to bring t…”

“We will have to keep the costs under careful review. I obviously talk to the Chancellor and the Prime Minister all the time about how we are managing the pressures in the NHS and the impact on services, so those will be ongoing discussions. As we can see across the board, and this is one of the points that needs to be …”

“The principle here is that there are tons of checkers in the system. We need a few more doers, and we want to streamline to make sure that we have the right people doing the right jobs and diverting as much resource to the frontline as possible.”

“There is an opportunity cost—absolutely. That is why I think the strikes are ultimately self-defeating for the BMA and its members. I know that the sense from BMA members, reflected in the ballot—both in terms of turnout and the margin of the ballot response—is to give the Government a good kicking.”

“The CQC is independent and is the independent regulator.”

“The first thing to say is that we are not going to incorporate HSSIB into the CQC until the CQC is in a fit state to receive it. Secondly, we will make sure, through the governance arrangements and accountabilities, that we do not lose that sharp focus on investigation and the expertise that HSSIB has, which I am deter…”

“So far, not least thanks to the way that Jim and Elizabeth O’Mahony, the chief financial officer of the NHS, have managed the system to keep costs under control this year, we have been able to absorb the pressures and costs of strikes without directly impacting on frontline services.”

“Yes, and to be honest, it is the third issue of redress that so often causes the hold-up. The reasons for hold-up are, more often than not, financial. The reasons for hold-up are because responsibility sits across different Government Departments. I say this by way of explanation rather than an excuse, as you can proba…”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“I am not going to waste valuable time this morning relitigating what I have said very publicly and regularly on the BMA and my views on the timing of this industrial action, because they are well known. Jim, I and other senior NHS leaders met with the BMA yesterday morning—even at that late stage—to try and see off str…”

“Yes, I appreciate that. We have committed to progress on initiatives to improve clinical service provision before the second anniversary. We are beginning to see progress already on both sodium valproate and pelvic mesh, but in terms of broader redress I would put this under the same category as a number of other patie…”

“We are working with our colleagues at the Cabinet Office to address a whole number of issues from the Hughes report. Obviously, work on infected blood is now well under way, but we have other issues, particularly about the vaccine-injured community. There are a whole bunch of patient groups who have been failed by the …”

“Yes, you are.”

“First, it is completely unacceptable that this strike has rumbled on for so long and this dispute has rumbled on for so long. As you say, it is the longest running in the NHS. I don’t think anyone has really covered themselves in glory in this dispute. When you look at the change that the trust was proposing to make ve…”

“I am very happy to receive further clinical representations on this issue and to hear from experts on it. I hope the public will understand why, on this particular issue, I am not simply led by opinion polling. I have to follow the clinical advice and evidence, particularly given the enormous risks that surround these …”

“Two things. First, no child in this study is able to give consent and therefore be a participant in the trial and receive puberty blockers. In order to participate in a trial, a young person would need to give informed assent by repeating back to the clinician what the risks are and why they would want to go through th…”

“Without getting ahead of ourselves, the intention is to make sure because, to be honest, the issues around racial inequalities and discrimination are actually quite endemic across the NHS. When you look at the experience of our black and Asian patients and staff, as I have said before, we have a widespread cultural pro…”

“A permanent ban on the prescription of these drugs outside a clinical trial. I have been challenged, because I have said, in both instances, that I was uncomfortable about the ban and I am uncomfortable about the clinical trial. Both those statements are true and consistent. When I put in place the permanent ban on pub…”

“Joe, part of what Cass recommended and what will be undertaken is exactly that sort of research into people who are older and have undergone that kind of medical treatment or other sorts of support, from therapy through to other support from the NHS, to understand their outcomes. At the heart of the decisions I have ma…”