Stephen Morgan MP has shot out of the blocks and wasted no time in grilling Mr Johnson in the first Prime Minister’s Questions post summer recess.
Mr Morgan hit out at the PM in the chamber over the projected disastrous consequences that a no-deal Brexit would have for the NHS, highlighting Mr Johnson’s own Health Secretary’s grave warnings.
The question follows hundreds of Portsmouth people writing to the MP setting out their concerns over the implications of a no-deal on the NHS.
Mr Morgan said:
“This is an issue that I get hundreds of emails about every day, and for good reason.
Crashing out of the EU without a deal will have catastrophic consequences for the most cherished of our services – The NHS.
The Health Secretary has refused to rule out the possibility of people dying from medicine shortages and warned a no-deal would “not be pretty” for the NHS.
We know that there are care staff shortages of 18,000 across the South East alone with no-deal set to exacerbate this due to a lack of clarity over working rights.
We know that the large amount of new paperwork and regulatory hurdles that a no-deal Brexit would create for imports is likely to increase shortages of medicines and medical devices.
I will do everything in my power to stop the disaster that is no-deal from destroying a service we all so greatly rely on.”
The new Prime Minister floundered following the question and failed to even address the topic of medicine and staff shortages arising from a no-deal Brexit.
Following the PM’s response, Mr Morgan said:
“Today, I gave Mr Johnson the opportunity to outline exactly how the Government proposes to prevent NHS medicine and staff shortages in the event of no-deal.
His utter refusal to answer my question is yet another example of him dodging democratic process and running scared from the people.
He has already ignored the letter I sent him the week of his premiership, heavily contravening parliamentary procedure, now he has ignored the voice of Portsmouth in Parliament.
I will be writing to the PM again requesting detailed analysis of no-deal implications for our city’s NHS, specifically how this will affect staff shortages and medicine supplies.”
Mr Morgan is not alone in his frustration at the PM’s disregard for the NHS. Independent organisations such as The Health Foundation, The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust have all taken matters into their own hands by writing out to MPs warning them that No-Deal will be disastrous for the NHS.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“It is an insult to those pioneers who, in 1948, founded an NHS on the principles of fairness, equality and access for all.
We should be improving and increasing the use of the NHS, not hacking bits off, leaving it open to attack and gambling with its future.
I find it deeply saddening that we face times where we see a Prime Minister so recklessly willing to destroy such a cherished service in the name of his own ego-driven campaign for leaving with a no-deal.
I will not stand for this and will continue to make sure that I stand up for Portsmouth’s NHS both inside and out of Parliament.”