Wes Streeting

Wes Streeting

Labour — Ilford North

Speaking in the House of Commons on 15 December 2025

Debate

NHS: Winter Preparedness

Contribution

My hon. Friend can rest assured that he has my support as he keeps his eye on the temporary nature of this closure. I share his desire for it to be temporary. I would make this point, too. There is a view among some in the BMA that somehow these strikes are consequence-free for patients and the NHS on the basis that we can just cancel some operations and it is okay because consultants will be covering. That is quite a cavalier attitude to take to fellow frontline staff who will be having their annual leave cancelled and finding themselves recalled right now. It also really minimises how patients feel when they cannot access a walk-in service, such as my hon. Friend’s, or indeed have waited, often for far too long, for a diagnostic test, scan or operation. They will have psyched themselves up and be ready for that appointment, but then find it cancelled because of strikes. The BMA might try to kid everyone else that the strikes are consequence-free for patients, but BMA members really ought not to kid themselves.

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