Baroness Merron (Lab)

I thank my noble friend for her reflections on what has gone before and her welcome that the opposition parties can work with us to put this into a better place now. With respect to change and productivity, and a further extension to the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord Kamall, about culture, I can say straightaway that the Government have a 2% productivity growth target in 2025-26. That is immediate. We are not waiting to make this change, because if we do not improve NHS productivity and efficiency, we will not be able to deliver the three shifts needed to future-proof the NHS and support the Government’s growth mission. We have already invested more than £2 billion in NHS technology and digital in 2025-26, which will help with essential services and drive productivity in hospitals, such as the one that I know my noble friend serves very well. That will free up staff time, ensure that all trusts have electronic patient records, improve cybersecurity and enhance patient access through the NHS app. That is before we even make this change. We have already achieved a lot in the past eight months, but that is why we have to continue with this reform. We have delivered the 2 million extra appointments that we promised, months ahead of schedule, we have cut waiting lists by 193,000, and, as I said earlier, we have committed to 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments, just to name some. We know about the importance of change, which the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, asked me about, and that my noble friend calls for. That is why we will always continue to take bold steps where we have to, and not shy away.