Biography
David Smith has engaged substantially on health and social care through 18 debate speeches, with particular focus on end-of-life care and assisted dying, where he raised practical concerns about cost assessment and the potential for cost-saving pressures on the NHS. His contributions also addressed mental health in rural farming communities, learning disabilities and autism support in rural areas, and cross-border healthcare access issues affecting his North Northumberland constituents. Beyond health topics, he has spoken extensively on rural public services, education provision, and special educational needs support in his constituency.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“…I know, as we all do in this place, that farmers’ mental health has faced challenges. They are isolated and face immense pressures at times. I strongly support calls for empowering GPs to routinely use markers if there is a relevant change in the mental health of a gun owner.”
Record by topic
- Learning disability & autism253rd of 89915.0
- Assisted dying62nd of 37112.0
- Public health & prevention183rd of 6889.0
- Mental health386th of 8809.0
- A&E & ambulance response34th of 2589.0
- Palliative & end of life care213th of 5686.0
- Dentistry access65th of 1946.0
- Heart disease & stroke174th of 3983.0
- Maternity & neonatal238th of 4383.0
- Dementia108th of 2513.0
What they’ve said
“…Now, at 80 years old, he has dementia, unable to make any decision on his own and his power of attorney (me) is unable to act on his behalf.” Agriculture has faced headwinds for many years, not least under the last Conservative Government; energy prices rocketed, and dodgy trade deals with Australia and New Zealand und…”
Budget Resolutions · 2025-11-27 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Before long, we were safe in the maternity wing of the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast. Later that day, our first child—our daughter—was born, and we have called her our Belle of Belfast city ever since.”
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill · 2025-11-18 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…If someone has a stroke, heart failure or even a nasty cold on the wrong side of those lines, their illness and treatment come with strings attached. That is bad for my constituents and bad for our country. My constituents, like so many, live cross-border lives—that is just their reality.”
Cross-border Healthcare · 2025-11-04 · Read on Hansard ↗
“Three hundred of my constituents signed the petition. SEND is a major issue in North Northumberland and, over the summer, 130 families completed a consultation that I carried out on the issue. I will share the information with the Secretary of State in due course. The conclusion was unanimous: the system has to change.”
Children with SEND: Assessments and Support · 2025-09-15 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…nclude the investigative oversight that would be most likely to spot coercion, even if it was after the fact of assisted dying. Secondly, the marketisation of assisted dying worries me greatly and I do not believe that it has been properly addressed in the Bill.”
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill · 2025-06-20 · Read on Hansard ↗
Contributions reproduced under the Open Parliament Licence.