Blog: Talking healthcare and the NHS

11 April 2025 I recently held a Q&A session with constituents, focusing on important healthcare and NHS issues. We covered four particular areas: the future of Royston Hospital, integrating social care with the NHS, outsourcing NHS resources to private companies, and assisted dying.

Royston hospital and health hub plans

One attendee asked about the ongoing issue with Royston Hospital and the proposed health hub for Royston. I'm also frustrated by the lack of information being made available to the public, but discussions about the health hub are moving forward positively. I'm committed to pushing for more transparency on this.

Improving social care to ease NHS pressure

Another participant pointed out the need to reduce pressure on the NHS by fixing social care issues. I absolutely agree that integrating social care is crucial for NHS reform. The government's recent £600 million investment in social care and efforts to improve pay and career progression for social care workers are steps in the right direction. Creating a Universal National Care Service will help ease NHS pressures and ensure timely access to healthcare and I am actively engaging with the Health Minister on this matter.

Outsourcing NHS resources

We also talked about outsourcing NHS resources to private companies. I'm sceptical about the private sector cherry-picking the most profitable services and leaving taxpayers to cover essential parts. One example I shared was a concern about outsourcing blood transport services, which were previously managed by a local charity but are now handled by a private company, adding unnecessary costs to taxpayers. I continue to push for bringing services back in-house to maximise efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Assisted dying

We ended the session on the sensitive topic of assisted dying. One person spoke passionately about wanting adults with capacity to have the option to choose assisted dying as part of end-of-life care. I understand the strong feelings on all sides and agree that it's compassionate to provide a choice for those facing unbearable conditions. However, I also recognise the need for proper safeguards and better funding and support for hospice care to underpin genuine end-of-life options.

I'm currently reading the detailed report on the bill, and your views will help me decide how to vote. You can share your thoughts by completing my short survey.

You can also register for my next online Q&A here.