Wes Streeting
MP for Ilford North · Labour · United Kingdom
“We hope for the best and plan for the worst in terms of the continuation of this war, but we are also actively working to prepare for conditions in which a ceasefire has been agreed by Ukraine, with Ukraine and, from our perspective, for Ukraine.”
“The threats we face are not only evolving; they are getting closer to home. Every day, the UK and our allies encounter espionage, cyber-attacks and military posturing by hostile states.”
“One discipline I have to bring to the Ministry of Defence, drawing on my experience at the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS, is to ensure there is no culture of routine overspending, that we are improving productivity, that we deliver value for money and that we recognise that the money we are investing in defence comes wi…”
“With permission, I will make my first statement to the House as Secretary of State for Defence on Ukraine, the ongoing threat from Russia and the Government’s approach. It is not yet clear whether freedom or tyranny will define the 21st century. What is clear is that the United Kingdom will not be a bystander in that struggle.”
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that very serious and important issue. She will understand that, as a matter of policy, I will not comment on intelligence, but I will address the reports she has raised.”
“We know that this Prime Minister and this Chancellor are both fully committed to funding our nation’s defence, including meeting our NATO commitment of 3.5% by 2035 and setting out an earlier 3% commitment at the next spending review.”
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“I thank my hon. Friend for his support in trying to influence a more constructive approach, for the advice that he has given me and members of the resident doctors committee, and for the experience that he brings to these exchanges. He is right to praise Jack Fletcher for the constructive approach that he and his officers have taken. It has not been easy, but I know that officials have enjoyed the constructive engagement, and I thank enormously the officials who have worked tirelessly on this. I think all those involved in the discussions, on both sides of the table, are disappointed by the outcome, and that is why I urge the BMA to seize the offer before it is too late. My hon. Friend talks about other changes, such as to placements and rotations.”
“They have been overlooked for too long, and we are determined, through the negotiations and discussions that we are having with “Agenda for Change” unions, to put that right. That will be my focus for the future of the workforce.”
“I am really impressed by some of the progress that we have seen recently in some hospitals: Queen’s hospital in Romford has shown it can be done and other hospitals are showing real progress. We are determined to put the foot down on the accelerator. We will absolutely see capital investment to improve the NHS estate. We have 2,000 more GPs now than when we came into office—the highest number of GPs on record, in fact—although there is more to do. Let me give this commitment to the “Agenda for Change” workforce. So much of the oxygen and airtime has been consumed by doctors, but 1.5 million people work in the NHS, many of whom will never be paid as much as the lowest paid doctor.”
“I thank the Liberal Democrats for their support. I really hope that resident doctors appreciate that this is a party with a spokesperson who supports the NHS and wants to see it improving, but, even from the vantage point of opposition, is clear that what the BMA is demanding is unaffordable. We know from experience that it is easier to make promises in opposition than to have to deliver them in government, so when an Opposition party is also saying that the demands are unaffordable, resident doctors should accept that. [ Interruption. ] Thank you for the noises off from the Conservative Front Bench. I reassure the Liberal Democrats that we are committed to ending corridor care by the end of the Parliament.”
“It is frankly breathtaking hypocrisy. It rather looks like doctors in their ivory tower saying one thing, and lecturing us about what is and is not affordable, but when it comes to how their subs are spent and how their own union behaves towards its own staff, not being prepared to pay them. I have been very complimentary about the officers who have been engaged with Ministers and my officials in recent weeks to try to get this deal over the line; so have BMA staff. I am stunned by the BMA’s unwillingness to practise what it preaches. I will not be joining resident doctors on the picket line. I should have declared, Madam Deputy Speaker, that I am GMB member, so if there is one picket line that I will be visiting during the doctors’ strikes, it may well be that one.”
“That is thanks to brilliant frontline staff and senior clinical leadership on the front door, and we will see that again during strikes. There is a certain irony about the fact that during resident doctors’ strikes, urgent and emergency care improves, because we have more experienced, senior clinical decision makers in urgent and emergency care. There is something to learn from that. I do not say that to denigrate resident doctors for a moment—they are learning and building their experience, and we do not want to lose that—but we are seeing that improvements can be made, and have to be made everywhere. We have to see this as a priority, because corridor care can never be the safest care, and it is never dignified care.”
“The Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee is absolutely spot on. I am relieved to report that I was doing exactly what she mentions only last Friday; I was walking the corridors of Queen’s hospital in Romford. I was there in January as well, seeing the worst of the situation. I have been spending time on the frontline in the places that were under the most pressure, just as I did last winter. I went along, not to look down my nose at people, but to listen, and to see at first hand what was happening, why it was happening, and what we need to do differently. The team at Queen’s hospital can really take pride in what they have achieved, but we have to sustain that progress. Last week, there were no trollies on the corridor, and in February they saved 10,000 corridor hours.”
“Resident doctors should not look a gift horse in the mouth, and I hope that they will make those representations to their committee.”
“If the committee had ever taken me up on my offer to meet the entire committee, I might be able to answer the question, but since it has never done so, I do not know. It is for resident doctors to decide, based on what I have set out, if the committee’s rejection of this offer is reasonable. Given the material benefits that the offer would bring to resident doctors in a matter of days—an additional 1,000 jobs and significant pay uplifts—and what that would mean for the next few years, I have to be clear that this is our best and final offer. We cannot go any further. If I may say so, we are at a point where the public would judge that we have gone as far as we can; I think quite a lot of people in the country who are watching would say that we have gone further than we should. I do not take that lightly.”
“I have been thinking about this issue in the context of the covid inquiry report, and where we are in terms of threats to this country, the war in Iran, and the war in Ukraine. This country was more exposed during the pandemic than it might have been if the NHS had been in better shape. This country faces some serious threats in the world, and the NHS is not in good enough shape. In that context, we have to start thinking about whether the actions of the BMA are tolerable.”
“Pay structure reform and future pay are linked to the DDRB, which is an independent pay review body; its recommendations are one of the things that the BMA wanted the deal to be shaped around. The Government’s position on minimum service levels has been clear. The hon. Gentleman sets out an alternative position from the Conservative party. I think the BMA should look at that, and judge whether it would be better to do a deal with this Government and move forward constructively. Does it honestly think that if it hampers NHS progress, and goes on endless strikes over the coming years, it will have a better Government to work with at the end of this? I do not think so. I ought to say one final thing, which we should take really seriously.”
“I have asked the JCVI to look at that, but we will follow the scientific evidence.”
“Member’s case and others has been extremely valuable.”
“Given the severity of the situation, I can confirm to the House that we will begin a targeted vaccination programme for students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent in Canterbury, which will begin in the coming days. The UKHSA will provide further advice on other cohorts in the coming days. On the question of wider eligibility, we obviously follow the expert independent advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. In the light of this latest outbreak, I will ask it to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines. I will do so without prejudicing its decision, because we have to follow the clinical advice on this. I will keep the House updated as the situation unfolds, and I commend this statement to the House.”
“Details about the location of those centres are available on the UKHSA website and are being promoted by the UKHSA, the NHS, my Department, schools and the university, as well as the BBC, and I encourage all media outlets to do the same. There is no need to book an appointment. A single course of antibiotics is highly effective in preventing the contraction and spread of this disease in 90% of cases. If you become worried about yourself, your child or a friend, particularly if symptoms are getting worse, please seek medical help urgently. Anyone with symptoms should call NHS 111 or, in an emergency, dial 999 to seek medical attention. People are understandably asking about a vaccine. From 2015, the menB vaccine has been available on the NHS as part of routine childhood immunisations, but clearly most students will not be vaccinated.”
“The bacteria are passed to others after a long period of close contact—for example, through living with someone in shared accommodation, through prolonged kissing, or through sharing vapes and drinks. However, the symptoms are easily mistaken for other common conditions, and even for something like a hangover. Let me set out the current advice from the UKHSA. Anyone who attended Club Chemistry on 5, 6 or 7 March, and anyone who believes that they were in close contact with someone who is confirmed or suspected to have meningitis, should attend a treatment centre and receive antibiotics. There are four centres open in Canterbury today, with 11,000 doses available on site.”
“The UKHSA made contact with the headteachers at both schools first thing on Monday morning and has worked closely with the schools to provide information, advice and support, including a letter to parents that was issued the same day. We are working closely with the Department for Education on wider communications to schools across the Kent area, and a briefing with schools has taken place this morning. The strain associated with this outbreak is meningitis B, known as menB. It is an uncommon but, as we have seen, serious and potentially lethal strain of meningococcal disease. The onset of illness is often sudden, and early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital. It does not spread very easily.”
“By 5 pm on Sunday those antibiotics were in place and distribution began to students in the two halls of residence where we were aware of cases, and by 6 pm, a public health alert was issued. It is important that the House, and the wider public, understands that even before the public health alert was issued, students and young people who had been in close contact with suspected cases were being offered antibiotics. This is precisely what one would expect as a rapid response, and I am confident UKHSA acted as quickly and as comprehensively as possible. In addition to cases involving students at the University of Kent, two cases were identified involving sixth-formers in year 13, one of whom has sadly died.”
“Also on Saturday, the French authorities alerted UKHSA to a second confirmed case in France, from an individual who had attended the University of Kent. Both cases lived in private accommodation and at that stage there was no apparent link between the two. At 7 pm on Saturday evening, hospitals reported that a number of severely unwell young adults were presenting with symptoms consistent with meningococcal disease. Contact tracing of these individuals began immediately and continued into Sunday morning, 15 March. All those traced were offered precautionary antibiotics. So far, 700 doses have been administered. Recognising the scale of the potential outbreak, at 10 am on Sunday, UKHSA stood up a full-scale response, including preparations for more widespread distribution of antibiotics on campus.”
“The majority of cases link back to the Club Chemistry nightclub over the dates of 5, 6 and 7 March, and their associated networks. Club Chemistry is currently closed voluntarily. Going forward, these figures will be updated publicly by UKHSA each day at 9.30 am. Let me now turn to the timeline of this outbreak. UKHSA was notified about the first case on Friday 13 March. In line with established protocol, health officials began identifying and tracing the patient’s immediate close contacts, who were offered prophylactic antibiotics as a matter of urgency. On Saturday, UKHSA was in touch with the University of Kent to ensure it had the necessary support, advice and guidance and to establish where the patient was living.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the outbreak of meningococcal disease in Canterbury and east Kent. My thoughts, and I am sure the thoughts of the entire House, are with the families and friends of the two young people who have sadly died. I cannot begin to understand what they must be going through. This is an unprecedented outbreak. It is also a rapidly developing situation. With these considerations in mind, it is absolutely paramount that we stick to the facts, which is what I intend to do. This is the current situation: as of 9.30 am today, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed four cases of group B meningococcal disease, with another 11 cases under investigation. The two deaths are associated with this cluster.”
“We are confident that we have the right levels in place to respond, and as we think about potentially widening cohorts, we will obviously make sure that supplies are available in a timely and effective way.”
“The shadow Secretary of State asked about the criteria for educational settings and the wider availability of vaccinations. We are looking at this issue actively with the UKHSA and will make announcements about further cohorts in the coming days. Turning to local NHS capacity, the NHS in the south-east region is supporting the UKHSA, which is the lead agency, in the response to the bacterial meningitis outbreak. Kent and Medway integrated care board has stood up, and is currently operating, a hub at the University of Kent site to deliver prophylaxis to students, and a second site has also been opened. We have obviously made sure that appropriate support is in place for hospitals responding to patients presenting at those hospitals. The shadow Secretary of State asked about the supply of antibiotics and vaccinations.”
“As I set out in the timeline, in response to individual cases, thorough contact tracing was undertaken and antibiotics were offered in cases of direct contact. By 5 pm on Sunday, the antibiotics were more widely available, and public communication went out at 6 pm. The schools were identified over the course of Sunday—that was not a straightforward experience. The two schools identified, Simon Langton grammar school and Queen Elizabeth’s grammar school in Faversham, were both contacted first thing on Monday. We are also looking at Norton Knatchbull school in Ashford, where there may potentially be another case. We are working closely with those schools and have stood up wider school briefing. We will look carefully at whether we could have done more, and more quickly, to identify those schools and make contact ahead of Monday morning.”
“I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his constructive response and support as we respond to this incident, and I welcome the way in which he has rightly brought scrutiny to the response. I should say from the outset that once we are through this, we will obviously look at the handling of the UKHSA’s response at every point, because there are always things that we can learn from and seek to do better. The balance that needed to be struck in the public communication was to ensure that people were informed in a timely way, but also that, first, we did not spread unnecessary anxiety and concern, and secondly, having been made aware of the risk, there was a channel through which people could receive support.”
“We are also making sure that students who have gone home and who may wish to access antibiotics because of risk factors or concern about symptoms are able to contact their GPs and receive support locally.”
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her question, which raises an important point—the shadow Secretary of State also raised it—about public health information. There are exams taking place at the University of Kent this week, but many students may have returned home, and indeed there will be some students at the University of Kent in Canterbury who commute in from the surrounding area. We have four sites available on and around the campus: the senate building at the University of Kent, the Gate clinic at Kent and Canterbury hospital on Ethelbert Road in Canterbury, Westgate Hall in Canterbury, and the Carey building at the Thanet community health hub in Broadstairs, which is planned to be open from Tuesday 17 March.”
“I once again emphasise to those watching that if you or someone you know develops symptoms of meningitis or septicaemia, you should seek medical help urgently by calling 111 or 999, particularly if symptoms deteriorate. If you are one of those students at the University of Kent who may have left campus and would otherwise have been visiting one of those four sites, we are making arrangements for you to be able to see your GP and receive the antibiotics there.”
“It is wonderful that we now live in a country where the memories of some of those everyday conditions being widespread killers are distant, but there is also a real risk of a return to those Victorian conditions, because of the misinformation and irresponsible anti-science political positioning that we see in certain corners of even this House. I hope that politicians in particular will think carefully and responsibly about our shared duty to the public in helping people be protected. On the specific concerns that the Liberal Democrat spokesperson raised, the public health risk to the wider population remains low, but we are actively contact tracing and offering antibiotic prophylaxis to those in close contact with cases. The antibiotics are one course, and they are effective in 90% of cases.”
“I thank the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for her response, and I strongly endorse what she said about the importance of vaccination. When it comes to determining which vaccines are available and to which cohort, we follow the advice of the JCVI, but if one good thing can come out of this awful situation, I hope it is general public awareness of the importance of taking up vaccinations where they are available. They remain one of the best public health tools available to us. On the one hand, it is a very good thing that few people alive in this country today remember the dark days when this country did not have a national health service and did not have vaccination available for common treatments.”
“A range of symptoms can present, including a rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass, the sudden onset of high fever, a severe and worsening headache, stiff neck, vomiting and diarrhoea, joint and muscle pain, dislike of bright lights, very cold hands and feet, seizures, confusion or delirium, and extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking. Those symptoms can also apply to a wide range of other conditions. As ever, if in doubt, the best thing to do is to seek medical advice, whether that is calling 111, or in an emergency dialling 999, or seeing your GP. I urge everyone to share the public health information that is disseminating online, so that we can spread facts rather than misinformation.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for his support for the local health system and for engaging so actively with my Department and the UKHSA team in response to this incident. He is absolutely right to press on public advice. It might be helpful to be clear that transmission requires close and prolonged contact, such as someone living in the same household or intimate contact such as kissing or the sharing of vapes or drinks. It is those sorts of things where the risk of spread exists. This disease is not like some of the other respiratory conditions that we have seen recently. It is important that people understand how it is spread, because they may find that reassuring.”
“To reassure the Chair of the Select Committee, I am already talking to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education about what more the Department for Education, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care can do together to ensure that we improve childhood immunisation as well as wider vaccine uptake across the population.”
“May I first welcome what the Chair of the Select Committee has said about the response to this incident? She is right to press more broadly on vaccination. The winter campaign that we have just run was more successful than last winter’s, but on her point about complacency, I would be the first to say that even with that improvement, we are still not doing well enough as a country on vaccination rates. I am particularly concerned about childhood vaccination. I can give her the assurance that I and our new public health Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Washington and Gateshead South (Mrs Hodgson)—I welcome her to the Front Bench—will look at that issue carefully. We take it seriously, and we will reply directly to the Committee with actions and with the seriousness that the letter warrants.”
“My hon. Friend raises such an important point. Let me, through him, convey my thoughts and condolences to Matthew’s family and, via them, to so many families across the country for whom the news headlines will be particularly painful, because they have lived through and are still living with grief and loss as a result of this devastating disease and the loss it can bring about. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that we need to ensure not only that there is wider public understanding of the signs and the symptoms, but that we are not complacent about that within the health system. Sometimes, in busy A&E departments, GP practices or pharmacies, things can get missed. It is important that we that we pick those concerns up and act quickly. I know that there are views on vaccination and the need for more widespread vaccination.”
“Member was right to point out that there will have been other sixth-formers over the age of 18 in the nightclub, including, perhaps, some who should not have been there. It is important for us to have a grip on who those young people are, to ensure that they have access to high-quality health information and advice and know where to go if they are concerned. I am confident that the four hubs that I mentioned will reach those young people and that the flow of information is improving, but the hon. Member is right to press and probe on whether we could and should have been more effective in communicating with schools, as we certainly were in communicating with the university.”
“I thank the hon. Member for repeating that wonderful and moving tribute to Juliette from her headteacher, which brings into sharp relief the devastating impact that this has had and the anxiety that many other parents will be feeling, in common with her. I also thank her for the proactive way in which she has been in contact with me and with the UKHSA over the weekend. She is asking the right questions. We will obviously review this and return to her and to the House with more detail, but I understand that on Sunday identifying the schools concerned posed some challenges and that contact was made on Monday morning. We need to look hard at whether more could and should have been done to be in touch with those particular schools on Sunday, but also with schools more generally. The hon.”
“My hon. Friend is entirely right. I did not respond to a linked question from the shadow Secretary of State earlier, so let me let me respond to both questions now. All cases are currently being treated as being connected with the Club Chemistry incident and cluster, but we are not taking that for granted: we remain open-minded and assess it continually as information comes in from patients and their families, which can take time because they are often very sick. Via the UKHSA, we are providing the opening times and locations of the four hubs. If people fear that they have been in close contact and are worried about the risk to themselves, they can come forward for antibiotics, which will be made available to them.”
“Secondly, on antibiotics access, students at schools who have had close contact with those who were at Club Chemistry can attend the sites that provide antibiotics. That message went out to all Kent schools this morning, so hopefully there will be an improvement in the flow and accuracy of information going to schools. The hon. Member was absolutely right to say that once this incident has passed we will need to look back and reflect on what was done and when, and what we can learn from that. At the same time, I am keen to ensure that we are listening, getting active feedback from Members across the House, and improving in real time as well. We will keep these channels open, not just through questions today but through briefings with Members, so that we can get feedback from local elected representatives, which in the hon.”
“I thank the hon. Member for her proactive approach over the weekend and in recent days, given the impact that this is having on her constituency and the devastating impact on her constituents. Let me reassure her about two things. First, we are not advising that there should be school closures. I think it important once again to underscore the nature of the transmission of this disease, which is close personal contact, such as kissing, sharing vapes—which I am concerned about in the context of young people—and sharing drinks. Obviously, if people live together in a household, some of those things are even more likely to occur, but the general risk is low. I want people to think carefully about their own situation, but they should not be unnecessarily worried or anxious.”
“We can be proud in the United Kingdom that this was the first country in the world to roll out the menB vaccine. As for who might be eligible in the future and on what basis, we always rely on the advice of the JCVI, which is independent and is based on the data and on scientific research. However, owing to the nature of this outbreak and the speed at which we have seen the disease spread, I am asking the JCVI to look again at the advice that it has provided, without prejudice to any decision that it might make. Given our most recent experience and what we have seen in recent days, I think it prudent for the JCVI to take those factors into consideration and issue fresh advice to the Government.”
“Following the right hon. Member’s question, I will ask whether expansion to Tonbridge would be a sensible thing to do, given the number of people who may have been in Club Chemistry on the relevant dates. I take his point about some people not being willing or able to travel to the four sites that have been made available in Broadstairs and Canterbury. None the less, and not least because some students have left university for the Easter break, we are making sure that GPs are able to prescribe antibiotics through the NHS. I know he is talking about different cases—they will not be students—but we will make sure that people can get access to antibiotics via their GP. If I have not fully answered his question—he is shaking his head—I will catch him after this session to make sure that I do.”
“We need to get the balance right between promoting awareness—people thinking about their own situation and whether any of these factors apply to them—and not spreading unnecessary anxiety, because most people, including the overwhelming majority of students at the universities and people in Canterbury, will not be at risk.”
“Symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia can include a rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass; a sudden onset of high fever; a severe and worsening headache; a stiff neck; vomiting and diarrhoea; joint and muscle pain; a dislike of bright lights; very cold hands and feet; seizures; confusion or delirium; and extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking. I want to underscore that the general risk of transmission is low and that it takes place through close, direct and prolonged personal contact through things like kissing or sharing vapes and drinks.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for sharing his awful experience, and for once again emphasising the importance of good public health information and advice, including for parents whose students will still be in Canterbury and who may therefore be particularly worried. UKHSA is now advising anyone who visited Club Chemistry on 5, 6 or 7 March to come forward for preventive antibiotic treatment as a precautionary measure; it can be collected from four sites. If they or people they know develop symptoms of meningitis or septicaemia, they should urgently seek medical help by going to the nearest accident and emergency department or dialling 999. If it is not an emergency but people are concerned, they can contact their GP or NHS 111.”
“The hon. Member is absolutely right about the atypical nature of this outbreak. I can reassure her and the House that UKHSA is in regular contact with the devolved Administrations.”
“I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for his question, and I am mindful of the concerns of neighbouring communities across his part of London and the wider south-east. I can provide reassurance on two points. The general risk is low because of the nature of the transmission of this disease and because of the active contact tracing that is under way, on which UKHSA has done a particularly impressive job, given the unusual nature of this outbreak. We can be reasonably confident that we are tracing people and managing risk in that way. Even as students return home from university, we are managing the risk, proactively contacting people and making antibiotics available. We are preparing for a targeted vaccination campaign in the coming days, but we are also considering the wider cohorts that UKHSA may deem necessary to vaccinate.”
“I can understand that some people may choose to buy the vaccine, but I will reassure the hon. Gentleman on two points. First, we have a significant stockpile of vaccines. Secondly, we are taking an evidence-based approach to vaccination, starting with the targeted vaccination programme that UKHSA is preparing. We are thinking about additional cohorts, and we always keep an eye on our medicine supply more generally.”
“Students who may have been at Club Chemistry on the dates concerned should not write off some of the symptoms as a hangover. It is better to be reassured than to be ignorant, so seeking medical attention and advice is the right thing to do, rather than simply writing off the symptoms as something else. I urge parents to give that advice to young people, and students to follow the advice.”
“I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for his question, and I know that lots of parents will be concerned about this issue. As I have said, the first thing that individuals should do is think about their risk of exposure. We have already made available the four hubs for people to come forward and get antibiotics, and we will continue to contact people actively and trace the outbreak. As I have previously said, there is a range of symptoms: a rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass; a sudden onset of high fever; a severe and worsening headache; a stiff neck; vomiting and diarrhoea; joint and muscle pain; a dislike of bright lights; very cold hands and feet; seizures; confusion or delirium; and extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking. Those symptoms can apply to a range of conditions, but it is good to be cautious.”