"NHS plan must prioritise prevention" says Anna Dixon MP

Anna Dixon has today said that any new NHS plan must prioritise preventing sickness as much as treating it.

Speaking at the NHS Performance: Darzi Investigation debate, the Shipley MP also raised the critical issue of health and disability inequality within her constituency and nationwide.

Ms Dixon wasted no time getting back to representing her constituency in Parliament, interjecting in the Commons on the first day after the end of recess.

Anna Dixon said:

“I came into politics because of a desire to reverse growing inequalities in health and disability.

“In my constituency of Shipley, there is a 10-year gap in healthy life expectancy between those living in Wharfedale and their neighbours over the moor in Windhill.

“While lots needs to be done to tackle poor housing and poverty, there are things that the NHS can do.

“Does my hon. Friend agree that the NHS plan must prioritise prevention, as well as just treating sickness?”

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said in response:

“As a former public health consultant, I would obviously agree with my hon. Friend. I have similar health inequalities across Oldham.

“I was about to talk about the impact of other issues, such as social Toggle showing location of cuts, which meant greater poverty, including in-work poverty and children from working families living in poverty.

“That has had a consequential impact on our health as a whole.

“We have flatlining life expectancy, and in areas such as mine, life expectancy has got worse. That impacts on our productivity and the wealth of our country.”