Tag: Jonathan Ashworth

The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 27 August 2020.

Radically improving children’s health and wellbeing is a priority for Labour. This report is a stark reminder we are amidst a childhood obesity crisis and that we need concerted government effort to bring obesity levels down. But instead of prioritising immediate action, ministers are embarking on a risky reorganisation including abolishing Public Health England and now can’t even tell us who will be responsible for driving forward obesity work.”

The letter sent by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 August 2020.

Dear Matt,

We are in the midst of the greatest public health crisis for a century.

The government’s sole aim must be protecting people’s health. That means doing everything possible to drive down infections and save people’s lives. Public health services are crucial to that strategy.

Creating the conditions where people live healthier, happier longer lives is integral to protecting the nation’s health and goes hand in hand in delivering health security. Building good public health builds resilience to Covid-19.

We have tragically seen that Covid-19 thrives on health inequalities. The poorest are twice as likely to die from the virus. Years of swingeing public health cuts and wider austerity measures have left us with widening health inequalities, stalling life expectancy and has contributed to the highest excess death rate in Europe.

Given the widespread worries about a resurgence in the virus, surely embarking on a restructure now is risky, indeed some would say irresponsible. I of course am aware of the pressures you are under from your backbenchers. A number of Conservative MPs have sought to blame PHE for the government’s mistakes and poor record over test and trace, even though the ministerial direction given to PHE last year made no mention whatsoever of preparing for a pandemic.

I am therefore writing to you with a series of questions over your plans to abolish Public Health England and merge its health protections functions with NHS Test and Trace alongside the Joint BioSecurity Centre.

Firstly on obesity. You will no doubt remember at the beginning of the summer the Prime Minister said that tackling obesity was key to protecting the nation from a second wave of Coronavirus. “Losing weight is, frankly, one of the ways that you can reduce your own risks from Covid….. if we’re fitter and healthier, and if we lose weight, we’ll be better able not just to individually withstand coronavirus, but we’ll do a great deal to protect the NHS. And that’s why we’ll be bringing forward an obesity strategy.”

It is sadly no surprise that during this pandemic we have seen a rise in hospital admissions for children because of obesity. This highlights the desperate need for action after years of inaction from the Conservative governments in power. It is all well and good announcing obesity strategy after obesity strategy, but planning alone will do nothing for the next generation of children whose outcomes will suffer. The abolition of Public Health England will only serve to make this more difficult. Given the known risks around weight and Coronavirus, it is vital that the focus on tackling obesity isn’t lost during this structural reorganisation. With this in mind, who will now be responsible for driving through the government’s new priorities on obesity?

Similarly there is now a huge question mark hanging over the other non-health protection elements of PHE’s responsibilities such as screening, immunisation, mental health, sexual health, smoking cessation and addiction services. We need certainty on how these vital services will continue and under whose remit.

I was pleased that you followed our advice in committing to a flu vaccination programme for over 50s. I reiterate our commitment to work with ministers in standing firm against poisonous anti vaccination propaganda. PHE has played a role in supporting NHS England in the uptake of immunisations and vaccinations. Given how crucial access to a Covid-19 vaccine will become in the coming months can you outline who will take responsibility for the roll out and uptake of a vaccine when one comes available?

As you know I have a strong personal interest in addiction and am alarmed that on the same day you announced the abolition of Public Health England there were reports that the remaining detox beds in the NHS could close. Before Public Health England existed there was the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, do you envisage re-creating something similar or will these responsibilities be transferred elsewhere?

Could you also outline exactly what you mean when you invited the private sector to “join [us] in the mission”? The lesson of this pandemic is that surely money would be better spent on local public health, not more outsourcing firms?

With that in mind could you explain why McKinsey was given £560,000 to advise on this restructure (ironically it was McKinsey who advised on the 2012 restructure that created Public Health England and you supported as a backbench MP)? Will you publish the McKinsey recommendations? Can you confirm reports McKinsey will receive personal test and trace health data and will be authorised to process such data for seven years? Why have you agreed for personal data to be kept by a private management consultancy firm and for what reason do they need it?

Finally public health officials, NHS staff and care staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and deserve clarity about their future. Reorganisations often sap morale, are distracting and cause huge uncertainty especially when news of such a reorganisation is briefed in advance to a Sunday newspaper. An article in the BMJ recently pointed out that “every time public health goes through a major reorganisation it loses at least 20-30% of its skilled and experienced staff.” What guarantees can you offer current staff who will be impacted by this reorganisation and what discussions have you initiated with staff trade union bodies?

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Ashworth MP

The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 19 August 2020.

I’ve long warned that after years of public health cuts we are facing an addiction crisis, and closing our remaining detox beds will mean more people lose their lives to alcohol abuse and drug misuse.

It’s especially concerning that these warnings come as the Secretary of State embarks on a risky and irresponsible dismantling of Public Health England, with no idea who will lead on addiction nationally.

As covid-19 has cruelly reminded us, improving population health is integral to health security and that must mean properly investing in public health services, not cutting them.

The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 6 August 2020.

Boris Johnson’s failure to confront Dominic Cummings over his lockdown breach was a monumental misjudgment.

The government rightly asked the British people to make huge sacrifices to drive down infection rates. So to have allowed his most senior advisor to blatantly break the rules undermined vital life saving public health messaging at the peak of this deadly pandemic.

Text of the comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 July 2020.

This finally puts to bed the Prime Minister’s previous claim his Government ‘took the right decisions at the right time.’

Boris Johnson has finally admitted the Government has mishandled its response to the Coronavirus. It was too slow to acknowledge the threat of the virus, too slow to enter lockdown and too slow to take this crisis seriously.

The threat of a second wave is still very real. It is imperative the Government learns the lessons of its mistakes so we can help to save lives.

The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 July 2020.

Flu, alongside a second Coronavirus wave, could be devastating. That is why Keir Starmer demanded that a comprehensive flu vaccination programme be put in place ahead of the winter, including free vaccinations for the over 50s.

It’s welcome ministers have listened to Labour but they must offer a guarantee that the programme will be offered to all over 50s this winter. We will do all we can locally and nationally to encourage take-up of the flu vaccine.