Latest news with #healthreform
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Streeting's NHS plans are baby steps in the right direction
Some 28 years after Tony Blair told British voters there were just '24 hours to save the NHS', Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer is telling the public that it's now ' reform or die ' for the health service. Blair was evidently wrong. Sir Keir, on the other hand, may well prove to be right. A post-Covid productivity slump, combined with a spiralling funding bill, an ageing population, and a mountainous backlog of cases awaiting care, have combined with the existing flaws in the structure of the health service to produce a serious threat to its continued viability. These trends are not new. The Conservative Party, over its 14 years in office, largely elected not to deal with them, kicking the can down the road rather than face the opprobrium that would come with reform of an institution so riddled with vested interests and political controversy. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, then, deserves credit for being willing to come out swinging when so many before him have meekly elected to decline the double-edged opportunity of reforming the NHS. The Government's new 10 year health plan recognises that there is no route forward for the status quo, and in its attempt to reckon with this has come up with some promising ideas. Ending the 8am rush for GP appointments by training more doctors, focusing on the prevention of illness as well as its treatment, making use of new technology to improve productivity, and publishing league tables that show which parts of the service are failing are all steps that would be welcome if implemented successfully. That, however, is the catch: 'if'. The idea, for instance, that the NHS should have a Single Patient Record to 'bring an end to the frustration of repeating your medical history to different doctors' is a good one. It was a good one, too, when the National Programme for IT in the NHS was launched in 2002, spent vast sums attempting to implement it, and then failed amid bitter recriminations. Similar things could be said of other ideas. The history of the NHS, to borrow from Adam Smith, has too often been a 'conspiracy against the public' on behalf of those providing health services. Sir Jim Mackey's comment last week that the NHS sees patients as an 'inconvenience' aptly summarised the attitudes and culture that must be shattered. Having spent the last year pulling together its plan, the hard work for the Government begins now.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
You can't fix the NHS without fixing social care, Streeting warned
MPs have warned the Health Secretary that 'you can't fix the NHS without fixing social care' following the launch of the Government's 10-year health plan. Social care was described as a 'very significant question' hanging over the blueprint by the shadow health secretary. Speaking in Commons on Thursday, Edward Argar warned Wes Streeting he risks failing to 'seize the genuine opportunity' presented by the plan if social care is not also reformed. There were also calls to bring forward the end date of the Casey Commission, which aims to set out a plan to implement a national care service, in order to go 'further and faster' on social care. Mr Argar said: 'Unless we move faster to adjust the challenges of social care and put it on a sustainable footing, these reforms risk failing to seize the genuine opportunity presented.' Mr Streeting said: 'We're not waiting for Casey. The Spending Review gave an additional £4 billion to social care, and we're delivering the biggest expansion of carers allowance since the 1970s, significant increase in the disabled facilities grant. 'And the deputy prime minister and I will shortly be setting out how we will deliver the first ever fair pay agreements for the care workforce, building a real social care progression.' The Casey Commission launched earlier this year, with the first phase expected to report in 2026, although recommendations from the initial probe will be implemented in phases over the course of 10 years. Social care leaders have raised concerns over the potential timeline of 2036 for some reforms to be introduced. The second phase of the commission, setting out longer-term reforms, is due to report by 2028. Mr Streeting said social care 'has to be part' of neighbourhood health, adding: 'In the context of this plan, social care features because it has a role to play on admission avoidance and speeding up delayed discharges.' Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said a plan for the future of the NHS is 'welcome' but sought reassurance on social care. 'In 143 pages of the 10-year plan, there is only a passing reference to social care,' she said. 'Everyone knows that you can't fix the NHS without fixing social care. 'With so many people unable to return home from hospital to get the care they need, solving the crisis in social care is a huge part of moving care out of hospital and into the community.' Mr Streeting said: 'I hope the house is reassured by the action we've already taken on social care, that's greater funding, the expansion of carers allowance, increasing the disabled facilities grant, the Fair Pay agreements, and the role and the partnership that we will see with social care to deliver better neighbourhood health services. 'And I should also say, especially in the context of what we've been describing about the importance of data and digital connections and better systems, in some parts of the country the social care system is actually ahead of the NHS, making better use of data, joining up systems in a more effective and efficient way. 'And there's lots that the NHS can learn from social care as well as the other way around.' The chief executive of Care England, Professor Martin Green, also warned that the NHS 'cannot deliver this vision alone'. 'If adult social care is not put at the centre of delivery – not just as a partner, but as a leader – this plan will falter,' he added. 'The plan speaks to a future we've already been building. But vision alone isn't enough. Providers need clarity, investment, and status. 'Without a clear role for adult social care, this plan will leave a gap between policy and reality.'
The Sun
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
How the new NHS 10-year plan affects YOU – from fat jab roll outs to banishing the 8am GP scramble and AI docs
BRITS are about to see their beloved NHS transformed into the 'Neighbourhood Health Service' as part of the Government's long-awaited 10-Year Plan today. Ministers will vow to keep millions of Brits in England out of hospital and help them on their doorsteps before they fall seriously ill. 2 2 The future will revolve around local health centres open six days a week outside of hospitals and GP practices. People will be offered help from doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and even job advisers in the community. Services will vary locally, with some areas sending teams door-to-door to reach vulnerable and hard-to-reach patients. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting want to end 'perpetual firefighting' in hospitals that are buckling under the demand. The plan promises thousands more doctors, widespread use of technology and AI, and extra help with mental health, job advice and weight loss. It comes as Wes told The Sun Britain will be 'fat free' within a decade with more people given access to weight loss jabs PM Sir Keir said: 'It's reform or die. 'Our 10 Year Health Plan will fundamentally rewire and future-proof our NHS so that it puts care on people's doorsteps, harnesses game-changing tech and prevents illness in the first place.' The Government wants to move the focus of the NHS away from hospitals, which have become overloaded. Since 2011, waiting lists have ballooned from 2.5million to 7.5m. Wes Streeting brutally slams Kemi AND Farage and demands Tories say sorry for how they ran the NHS in blistering attack The rate of four-hour A&E waits increased to 40 per cent from less than 10 per cent, and around three in 10 cancer patients wait two months or more for treatment, up from closer to one in 10. Public satisfaction with the NHS has slumped to a record low of 21 per cent. Ministers said that by 2035 the majority of non-emergency care will take place outside of hospitals. People will be able to get scans and tests, straightforward treatments, check-ups and broader life help from the neighbourhood clinics. Local hubs may also dish out debt advice and job support, ministers say. The Government has vowed to fix staff problems by hiring more doctors, encouraging UK medical training and rewriting doctor contracts to improve funding. What's changing in the NHS? A massive overhaul will shift care closer to home and ease pressure on packed hospitals. Here's what the new 'Neighbourhood Health Service' means for you: 200 new Neighbourhood Health Centres open 12 hours a day, 6 days a week Centres staffed by nurses, GPs, paramedics, pharmacists, health visitors, rehab teams, and more Clinics may go door-to-door to find illness early Most care outside hospitals in homes, pharmacies, GP surgeries, and health centres NHS app upgraded with AI doctors to answer questions, book appointments, take notes, and write letters More doctors, nurses, and dentists trained and recruited in the UK Dental graduates must work in the NHS for at least 3 years before going private More cash will be funnelled into working-class areas in a bid to shrink the health gap between rich and poor. Wes Streeting is dismantling time-wasting quangos to cut paperwork, save money and speed up changes to the health service. He has called for 'more doers and fewer checkers' and his department is dissolving the NHS headquarters to take supreme control of local health boards. And the NHS app will be turbocharged so patients can book their appointments, check waiting times, quiz an AI doctor or send questions to real medics via their smartphones. 'Makes the NHS simpler' The Health Secretary said: 'Our plan will turn the NHS on its head. 'By shifting from hospital to community, we will finally bring down devastating hospital waiting lists and stop patients going from pillar to post to get treated.' Daniel Elkeles, chief of NHS Providers which represents hospital bosses, said: 'This is a win for patients who will be better informed and empowered to direct their care as never before. 'It makes the NHS simpler, ensuring quicker decisions and innovations getting to frontline services faster. 'This is a recipe that offers the prospect of progress where previous plans have faltered.' Finance experts warn the plans will be costly – but the PM and Health Secretary refuse to pump endless cash into the NHS without results. Many parts of the plan already happen in some areas but need to be rolled out nationally. Others have been promised in previous schemes, such as 2019's Long-Term Plan, but failed due to a lack of money or time. A 'castle built on sand' Sarah Woolnough, chief of the King's Fund think-tank, said: 'There is plenty to welcome but the public will want to know why it will be different this time. 'Unlike previous plans, this plan will not come with promises of significantly more funding or staff. 'We won't necessarily feel the changes tomorrow or even next year, but if the NHS and its staff are given the support, resources and political cover to deliver the changes the plan proposes, the health system could feel very different in five to 10 years' time.' The Government have said the cash to pay for the new service will come from the £29bn boost to NHS funding announced in the last Budget. The Conservative MP and shadow health secretary Edward Argar said the NHS needed "reform, not just more cash" and warned that Labour's plan had to be "real and deliverable for patients". Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the whole 10-year NHS strategy would be a "castle built on sand" unless ministers tackled what he described as a "crisis in social care".
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The Independent
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Can Labour's 10-year plan finally fix the NHS? Join The Independent Debate
In one of the most ambitious health reforms in decades, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled Labour's 10-year plan to 'rebuild the NHS from the ground up' – shifting treatment out of hospitals and into local health centres and people's homes. The plan, published on Thursday, promises to transform the NHS from 'treatment to prevention,' prioritising early intervention, neighbourhood care, and digital innovation. Under the proposals, new health centres – open six days a week – will offer diagnostics, rehab, nursing, and even debt and employment support, aiming to reduce pressure on hospitals and bring care closer to home. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called it a 'once-in-a-generation' reform that will 'turn the NHS on its head.' But critics argue that the vision is far from new – and question whether it can be delivered without significant new funding, staffing, and systemic change. Think tanks like the King's Fund and Nuffield Trust welcomed the plan's ambition but warned that without clear delivery mechanisms, capital investment, and joined-up working between services, the strategy risks repeating past failures. Now we want to hear from you. Will Labour's 10-year plan finally fix the NHS? Or is it another big promise without the backing to make it real? Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll above – we'll feature the most compelling responses in the coming days. All you have to do is sign up and register your details, then you can take part in the debate. You can also sign up by clicking 'log in' on the top right-hand corner of the screen.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Thursday briefing: Labour is betting on an NHS overhaul to deliver real change, but can they pull it off?
Good morning. Wes Streeting's first statement as health secretary was a startling one. Just a day after Labour's historic election triumph, he declared that 'the NHS is broken'. Now, almost exactly a year later, he returns with a 10-year plan to fix it, in what's been billed as the most ambitious health reform agenda in a generation. It's hard to overstate the significance of this moment. Reforming the NHS was central to Labour's election manifesto, and last year prime minister Keir Starmer made the consequences clear: 'Reform or die,' he warned, and with it, staked the next election on his government's ability to deliver meaningful change. NHS leaders, unions, thinktanks, patient groups and other key stakeholders may not agree on every detail, but they are united on one thing: the NHS is in crisis and change is urgently needed. But what exactly is in this plan and will it make a difference? To find out, I spoke to health policy editor Denis Campbell, who has been covering the NHS for two decades. That's after the headlines. UK politics | Downing Street has said Rachel Reeves will keep her post and has not offered her resignation, after the chancellor was seen in tears at prime minister's questions. US news | The federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs reached its conclusion on Wednesday, with the jury finding the music mogul guilty on two charges The government has said that it will seek the maximum 20-year sentence. UK news | Detectives investigating the former nurse Lucy Letby have passed evidence to prosecutors alleging she murdered and harmed more babies, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed on Wednesday. US military | Iran's nuclear program was set back roughly one to two years as a result of the US strikes on three key facilities last month, according to an assessment by the Pentagon. Covid inquiry | Discharging untested patients from hospitals to care homes during the Covid crisis was the 'least worst decision', the former health secretary Matt Hancock has told a public inquiry. At its most basic, the 10-year plan is the Labour government's detailed 150-page blueprint to get the NHS back on its feet after nearly 15 years of serious neglect, Denis Campbell told me. 'It aims to address the fact that the NHS is sadly no longer able to perform its most essential function, which is to give people who need care the care they need, when they need it.' Waiting times are too long for many of the NHS's most vital services, including GP appointments, ambulances, mental health support and surgery. 'The 10-year plan is meant to get the NHS back on its feet in a way that we as patients, voters and taxpayers will appreciate and notice, but crucially, to also modernise the health service, to make it work better and more efficiently to help deal with the fact that we live in a tech-driven age, with an ageing population and the fact that people expect health care to be much more convenient in the way that so many things in life are now,' Denis added. How will it do this? The 10-year plan proposes to do this with three big 'shifts': From hospital-based to community-based care: Services are moved out of hospitals and into community settings like GP surgeries, clinics and the promised new neighbourhood health centres. From analogue to digital: Rely more on digital tools like AI to spot problems early, speed up diagnoses and improve efficiency. From treating illness to preventing it: Focus more on keeping people healthy – by tackling smoking, obesity and misuse of alcohol – instead of just treating illness when it occurs. But, Denis told me, there are many practical questions, particularly on the first shift: 'What will these new centres actually look like? Will they be new places or expansions of existing GP practices? Who will staff them? Is there any money behind this bold vision to make it a reality?' On staffing, the NHS workforce continues to grow in England. 'There are 1.5 million people, but the NHS in England has for many years had roughly about 100,000 vacancies at any one time. So we know the NHS in England does not have the staff it needs already. 'The government is unveiling an ambitious and potentially voter-friendly plan to make the NHS more accessible, responsive, convenient and patient-friendly, with lots of consumer friendly positive language like this,' Denis said. 'But we do have to ask the hard question: if there isn't enough people hired to do what the NHS already does, where will the extra people come from to provide these extra services?' Denis added that while there has been some progress that the 10-year plan can build on, there's still a crisis to accessing care. 'Too many people wait too long. So there's clearly a big job to be done here to make the NHS as accessible as the government is saying,' he said. What has the reception been so far? Denis was being inundated with responses from thinktanks, unions, patient groups, and other stakeholders when I spoke to him. 'Many are welcoming the boldness of the government's vision, but they're questioning the practicality of delivering all of this and the timescale, what will it take to do this?' For many of these stakeholders, much of the plan is appealing, Denis added – who wouldn't want a local neighbourhood health centre where you can get an X-ray or scans, mental health support, pharmacist services and GP appointments? But there is scepticism. Denis groups the criticism into three main concerns: it will take a long time, there's no extra money for new buildings or services and there's not enough bold action on public health. 'This is billed as a 10-year health plan, not just the 10-year NHS plan. The government says it will improve the nation's health. But several thinktanks like the King's Fund are saying it doesn't include enough bold action to tackle the drivers of ill health and the fact we've got an increasingly sick population, particularly through diet and obesity and misuse of alcohol,' Campbell said. He added that the criticism is that there's no equivalent in this plan to past transformative policies like the sugar tax or indoor smoking ban. 'The NHS at the moment is not able to outrun a growing tidal wave of preventable illness that has been lapping at its shores for some years now. We have an ageing population and an increasingly sick population, will this plan make it any more able to cope with this growing burden of illness? At the moment, unfortunately the answer to that question is, 'No'.' Is this the last chance to save the NHS? The prime minister's positing that this is 'reform or die' certainly makes it seem that way, but Campbell suggested that it's a bit hyperbolic. 'The NHS is so deeply embedded in British life that no one is going to replace it with something else. But there is enormous pressure on this government to deliver. Keir Starmer promised transformative change into something people would notice and value,' he said. 'We're a year into this government, and England doesn't yet look much improved. So the pressure on this plan to deliver real, visible improvements quickly is intense. By framing it as 'reform or die' the prime minister is setting a very high bar for success.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion For our Long Wave newsletter (sign up here!), Jason Okundaye has a lovely piece on seeing Glastonbury as a 'white' festival … until he went and saw the depth of Black talent for himself. 'I can honestly say that coming back for a second year felt like coming home,' he writes. Charlie Lindlar, acting deputy editor, newsletters This is a devastating interview with a mother trying to understand how her vulnerable 24-year-old daughter was able to access a pro-suicide forum, and have poison sent to her through the post. It exposes a litany of failures, from state institutions to the absence of effective internet regulation. Aamna Hugh Muir is serving at 120mph in this piece on why Wimbledon is wrong to drop human line judges, and why we can't (and shouldn't want to) seek to eliminate the imperfections that make sport so compelling. Charlie From skipping weddings to mocking each other's music, this roundup of every major feud between the Gallagher brothers since Oasis split in 2009 gave me a proper chuckle. Aamna Our pass notes column breaks down why breaking your morning routine can feel so disruptive to your day. The most important thing to do, of course: make sure you read First Edition … Charlie Tennis | Emma Raducanu stormed past Marketa Vondrousova in her second-round Wimbledon match in two sets, 6-3, 6-3, lining her up to face the world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Katie Boulter was knocked out after losing in three sets to the world No 101 Solana Sierra. Cameron Norrie came back from a set down to stun 12th seed Frances Tiafoe. Football | Switzerland were denied a fairytale start to their home Euros as Julia Stierli's own goal ultimately settled a 2-1 victory for Norway. Finland secured their first victory of the tournament in 16 years with a narrow 1-0 win against 10-player Iceland, thanks to Katariina Kosola's superb second-half strike. Cricket | India closed day one of the second men's test match with England at Edgbaston with 310 runs for 5 wickets, as Shubman Gill's scored his second century of the series. Rishabh Pant was also a standout, swapping his usual scatterbrain batting for notable self-control, restricting himself to just one glorious four and a single crisp six in the 60 minutes he was at the crease. Rachel Reeves crying on the frontbench at prime minister's questions after Labour's stunning welfare climbdown is on a number of front pages today. The Guardian splashes on 'Tears and turmoil as PM forced to defend Reeves after welfare fiasco,' the Telegraph has 'Pound falls after Reeves's tears,' the FT leads with 'Gilts and pound slump after Reeves' tears trigger fears for fiscal vigilance,' while the i Paper has 'Reeves future in doubt after tearful PMQs.' The Metro goes with 'Tears & jeers for Starmer,' the Daily Mail asks 'What – or who – caused the tears that sparked turmoil in the markets?' while the Sun splashes on 'I'm under so much pressure,' referring to what Reeves' said before her tearful moment. The Mirror was the outlier, splashing on 'Kate: My rollercoaster recovery' on the princess's experience after cancer treatment. The truth about Iran's nuclear programme After 12 days of bombing by Israel and the US last month, opinions vary about the extent of the damage caused to Iran's nuclear facilities. The Guardian's diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, and Rouzbeh Parsi, a historian who studies Iran's nuclear programme, tell Michael Safi what could happen next. A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad If you have an idea to bring your community together over a project, we have some tips for you. Start with a short, clear and engaging story that explains what you're doing and why it matters. Build your support from friends, neighbours, and local groups first. Pick a crowdfunding platform that fits your needs (and watch out for hidden fees). Seek grants and build partnerships with trusted local organisations to boost your credibility and resources. Use your passion to just go for it, and see what you can build. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
