NHS has 'stood the test of time' during pandemic, MP says

Suzanne Webb, the Conservative MP for Stourbridge, said the Government was addressing the "significant financial pressure" the NHS was under with the biggest funding settlement since its formation.

It comes after Labour called for a "fully resourced rescue plan" to bring down waiting times for treatment and to help services recover from the pandemic.

Speaking during the Queen’s Speech debate in the Commons, Ms Webb said the NHS in her constituency had "gone above and beyond" during Covid and was owed "a debt of gratitude".

She said Labour painted a picture of the NHS as a "crumbling facade held together with sticking plasters, bandages and a bit of surgical glue".

"I see a picture instead of talent and dedication, an NHS that has stood the test of time since its inception and, indeed, through this pandemic.

“It is an NHS that is leading the way: one that has been truly transformational in adapting to a pandemic.

“I am not blind to the pressures on the NHS; it is under significant financial pressure.

"Equally, I am not blind to the fact that it is this Government who have delivered the biggest cash boost in history for the NHS, enshrining it in law and safeguarding it for future generations by investing an additional £33.9 billion in frontline service every year by 2024.

"It is the largest and longest funding settlement in the history of the NHS."

Ms Webb welcomed plans for social care reform, but added: "My one ask is this: we must look for mechanisms to protect taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and look to increase the threshold for paying for social care to above £100,000."

The MP used the debate to unveil her own constituency-wide levelling up agenda, including plans for the regeneration of Lye, as well as growth, jobs and protecting the green belt.

She vowed to work with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street to ensure the skills gap is narrowed in her constituency.