Need a coffee for Coffey? Tories doze through Health Secretary speech

2022-10-04

Time to wake up: Tory members spotted dozing as Health Secretary Therese Coffey takes to the stage for conference speech as she promises new action to tackle a backlog in dental care

Tory members were spotted dozing through the Health Secretary’s conference speech this afternoon
A number of attendees appear to take a nap as Therese Coffey spoke on stage about tackling NHS backlogs
She addressed the Tory conference in Birmingham, which comes amid infighting between MPs over taxes

Tory members took a break from the political fireworks at their party conference by dozing through Health Secretary Therese Coffey’s speech this afternoon.

A number of attendees for Ms Coffey’s address were spotted taking a nap as she promised fresh action to tackle backlogs in NHS and dental care.

In one awkward moment – as the Health Secretary spoke about her plans to rollout community diagnostic centres – at least four people were caught on camera with their eyes closed.

Ms Coffey’s address to the Tory conference in Birmingham, which she delivered in the venue’s main hall, came amid chaotic infighting between MPs over tax rates and benefits cuts.

Tory rebels had earlier been accused by one Cabinet minister of staging a ‘coup’ against Liz Truss by forcing the new Prime Minister into the U-turn on her plans to abolish the 45p tax rate.

Meanwhile, a growing number of MPs and ministers were threatening a fresh revolt after Ms Truss left open the option of not uprating benefits in line with inflation.

A number of attendees for Therese Coffey’s address were spotted taking a nap as the Health Secretary promised fresh action to tackle backlogs in NHS and dental care

In one awkward moment – as the Health Secretary spoke about her plans to rollout community diagnostic centres – at least four people were caught on camera with their eyes closed

Ms Coffey’s address to the Tory conference in Birmingham, which she delivered in the venue’s main hall, came amid chaotic infighting between MPs

Ms Coffey, who is also deputy PM, stuck closely to her health brief during her address to Tory members and did not address the seeming collapse in Conservative unity

But Ms Coffey, who is also deputy PM, stuck closely to her health brief during her address to Tory members and did not address the seeming collapse in Conservative unity.

She reiterated her ABCD plan for the NHS – addressing issues with ambulances, backlogs, care, doctors and dentists.

Ms Coffey promised both herself and her ministerial team at the Department of Health and Social Care would ‘focus on the issues that affect patients most, to deliver their priorities and be their champion’.

She also revealed that measures to tackle a backlog in dental care would be laid before Parliament next week.

The Health Secretary outlined an aim to create ‘oases of oral care rather than dental deserts’ with regulatory reforms.

‘It is frankly bonkers that we have restrictions on the recognition of doctors, dentists and nurses within the UK itself,’ she said.

‘That is why I am laying regulations next week which will allow the General Dental Council to get on with accrediting dentists to work right across our United Kingdom, so we can have oases of oral care, rather than dental deserts.’

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