Health Bill

23 juin 2026

The committee resumes in public, the Minister defends abolishing NHS England and outlines expected savings and workforce implications, responds to requests for further cost–benefit information, and clauses 1–3 are formally approved before moving on to clause 4 and the next group of amendments.

Health Bill

00:04 - 00:26

Intervenant 3

We are now sitting in public and the proceedings are being broadcast, so I'll remind all members again please to turn your phones to silent. And we continue with the debate on group one. I was about to call the minister to respond to that debate unless any other member wishes to contribute. I see none, in which case, Minister.

00:26 - 02:16

Intervenant 2

I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and casting my mind back to before the weekend, where I think we did have quite a wide-ranging debate on these clauses. But I think, as I said, a substantial agreement about the central proposition to abolish NHS England. I pay particular tribute to my friend the honorable member for Lichfield, who succinctly put his finger on the key issue here, that it's fundamentally right that people and their elected representatives should be able to hold ministers to account for the performance of the health service, and it's right that ministers should have the tools to be able to make the changes that are needed. NHS England's abolition is a necessary result of restoring that principle. The debate also raised a number of questions, a substantial number of which we will address during the course of this committee as we go to relevant clauses.

However, I'll pick up a couple now. And can I reassure the right honorable member for Melton and Syston that the government does take the impact of this process on staff seriously. We'll be treating people with the care, respect, and fairness they're owed through this process now and in the months ahead. We're also committed to consulting with recognized trade unions and have a joint partnership forum to support that ongoing engagement. And more broadly, we recognize that change of this type, it's never easy, but we will need to go quickly through the process now, and that means of necessity proceeding in parallel with the legislation, designing the detailed internal design work of the new department.

And this is in the interest of staff, patients, and the public. The honorable member for Sleaford and North Hykeham raised the issue of whether this bill was a cause of delays to the workforce plan. Let me be clear that it has not, and we will publish that imminently. She's also asked about the opportunity cost for other programs. Then I can assure her that the department, NHS England, and ministers are clear that we are here to deliver the ten-year health plan and other changes that make a difference to patients.

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