Sir Keir Starmer has declared that a new 10-year plan for the NHS marks the beginning of a "major programme of renewal and rebuilding that will transform the entire country". The Prime Minister will unveil his vision for the health service in a major speech on Thursday, seeking to shift focus away from several chaotic days in Westminster.
The plan will "fundamentally rewire" the health service and focus on "three big shifts" in the way the NHS operates, Sir Keir is expected to say. Writing for broadcaster LBC ahead of the speech, the Labour leader attempted to move on from a fractious week in Parliament which saw him U-turn on welfare reforms following the threat of a major rebellion by his MPs, as well as scenes of Chancellor Rachel Reeves crying in the Commons.
Government enters "next phase"
The Government is moving on to its "next phase" he wrote in an LBC op-ed, adding: "A major programme of renewal and rebuilding that will transform the entire country. Once again making Britain a nation where you work hard and reap the rewards. A Britain you feel proud to live in once again." The Government will get the NHS "back on its feet and fit for the future" Sir Keir pledged.
The new plan, which will be published on Thursday, sets out how the NHS will move from analogue to digital, treatment to prevention, and from hospital to more community care. The "status quo of hospital by default will end", according to the Government, with care shifted into neighbourhoods and people's homes.
Hospital care to shift dramatically
By 2035, the intention is that the majority of outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals, with less need for hospital-based appointments for things like eye care, cardiology, respiratory medicine and mental health. New neighbourhood health services will be rolled out across the country to bring tests, post-op care, nursing and mental health teams closer to people's homes.
The aim is to give people access to a full range of services, leaving hospitals to focus on the sickest, with neighbourhood health centres opening at evenings and weekends. New services will also include debt advice, employment support and stop smoking or obesity services - all of which affect people's health.
Community outreach to reduce pressure
Community outreach, with people going door to door, could also reduce pressure on GPs and A&E, the Government said. Ahead of the speech, Sir Keir said it was time for the health service to "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," he added. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the plan would deliver "one of the most fundamental changes in the way we receive our healthcare in history".
Weight loss jabs access expanded
Mr Streeting also told the Sun newspaper that he would work to widen access to weight loss jabs beyond the obese people who can currently get them on the NHS. "The jabs are a route not just to lower weight, but lower taxes," he added, suggesting that expanding the treatment would improve the nation's health and lower costs.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary, Professor Nicola Ranger urged the Prime Minister to "back up his plan with a clear one to turn around the shortage of nurses in all local communities. "Moving care away from overcrowded hospitals is urgent and necessary but it will prove impossible whilst this part of the healthcare workforce is so depleted and undervalued," she added.
Opposition voices scepticism
The Government's political opponents were sceptical about the plan, with Conservative shadow health secretary Edward Argar insisting that it must provide reform and "that reform must be real, it needs to be deliverable, and crucially it must deliver results for patients". Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey said the plan "will be a castle built on sand until ministers finally tackle the crisis in social care".
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
