Labour has launched a national consultation on the future of the NHS, calling on members of the public and organisations to help shape the government’s 10-year health plan.
Public engagement is part of the government’s plan to overhaul national health care and “build an NHS fit for the future,” it said in a statement.
The 10-year health plan will be published in spring 2025 and will include “big shifts” in health care, the government said.
Policymakers are planning for new neighbourhood health centres, with patients able to visit family doctors and other health specialists all under the same roof.
Patient information, including test results and letters, will be stored in one place, through the NHS app. Under new laws, NHS patient health records will be available across all NHS trusts, GP surgeries, and ambulance services in England. This is meant to speed up patient care and save NHS staff an estimated 140,000 hours every year.
Labour will also explore preventative health care and the use of wearable tech, so that patients with diabetes or high blood pressure can monitor their vitals from home.
Health care campaigners and charities have welcomed the government’s “ambitious approach.” Age UK called it a “once in a generation opportunity” to get involved.
“With our rapidly ageing population it’s important that the plan takes fully into account the needs of tomorrow’s older people as well as today’s and helps all of us to age confidently and well,” said Age UK Director Caroline Abrahams.
‘Fit for the Future’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to transform the NHS from a “broken system” to one that’s fit for the future.“We have a clear plan to fix the health service, but it’s only right that we hear from the people who rely on the NHS every day to have their say and shape our plan as we deliver it. Together we can build a health care system that puts patients first and delivers the care that everyone deserves,” he said.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, who has been diagnosed with kidney cancer in the past, spoke of a debt of gratitude to the NHS, which has to be repaid.
“I urge everyone to go to change.nhs.uk today and help us build a health service fit for the future,” Streeting said.
NHS England has been facing an unprecedented number of challenges, including pressures from an ageing population, rising levels of multiple long-term illnesses, industrial action, and outdated infrastructure. This means that “too many patients are waiting too long for care they need,” warned NHS England Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard.
The national consultation aims to bring the expertise of the NHS’s 1.54 million strong workforce and change the narrative, the Department of Health and Social Care said. It called for a fundamental reform and further investment to tackle the ongoing crisis, partly caused by “a decade of underinvestment.”
The call comes ahead of the October Budget, which is widely expected to include public spending cuts. Despite this, and the government’s warning of an alleged £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the Budget will focus on investment.
