Valerie speaks at the backbench debate on the NHS and Social Care Commission

On Thursday 28 January 2016, I spoke in the Backbench debate on the motion calling for a Commission on the long term future of the NHS and social care.

In my view, the evidence that health and social care must be integrated has already been presented in numerous reports of the Health Committee, of which I was a member from 2010-2015. I set out in my speech briefly the reports that were published by the Select Committee. Indeed during one of our inquiries on this topic a visit to Torbay care trust showed integration in action. We followed Mrs Smith with one point of call from socail care through the NHS and back. I do not see how a new Commission is necessary to repeat this evidence.

This issue has cross-party support and has been going on for a long time now, in my view setting up a commission would be kicking it into the long grass.

In the end whether it is from reports of the Select Committee or other organisations itnwill be up to the Government of the day to make progress on any reforms . The Government can respond to the recommendations of the Health Select Committee and take the forward.