New ‘rallying cry’ as Government calls on the nation to ‘help fix our NHS’ by sharing your experiences
Date: 2024-10-21BRITS have been urged to share their experiences and ideas “to help fix our NHS” in a “rallying cry” from the Government.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called on the nation to help shape the government’s 10-Year Health Plan through a major consultation, billed as a “national conversation”.
Members of the public, NHS staff and health experts are being asked to share their experiences, views and ideas on how the health service can be improved.
Billed as “the biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since its birth”, people will be able to share their views via change.nhs.uk or on the NHS app until the start of next year.
Announcing the consultation, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “My mum worked for the NHS, my sister worked for the NHS, and my wife still works for the NHS – so I know first-hand how difficult it has been for staff, and for patients battling against a broken system for over a decade.
“But it’s time to roll up our sleeves and fix it.
“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 healthcare system that puts patients first and delivers the care that everyone deserves.
“We have a huge opportunity to put the NHS back on its feet. So let’s be the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history and made it fit for the future.”
Meanwhile, the Health Secretary – who was treated for kidney cancer in 2021 – urged the public to “help us build a health service fit for the future”.
He said he wants NHS staff and patients to have their “fingerprints all over” the 10-year plan.
He said: “When I was diagnosed with kidney cancer, the NHS saved my life, as it has for so many people across our country.
“We all owe the NHS a debt of gratitude for a moment in our lives when it was there for us, when we needed it. Now we have a chance to repay that debt.
“Today the NHS is going through the worst crisis in its history. But, while the NHS is broken, it’s not beaten. Together, we can fix it.”
The consultation is part of the Government’s plans to transform the NHS into a “neighbourhood health service”, shifting more care from hospitals to communities.
The plan is expected to be published in spring 2025, and would see the formation of new neighbourhood health centres where patients will be able to see GPs, district nurses, care workers, physiotherapists, health visitors and mental health specialists in the same place.
How to have your say
Here's how you can take part in the consultation.
The Government has launched its online consultation at change.NHS.uk, which will also be available through the NHS app.
The consultation will be open until the end of the year, with the final version of the 10-year plan expected to be published in the spring of 2025.
The consultation is open to the entire nation.
Members of the public, clinicians and experts can all have their say.
The plan is expected to be published in spring 2025 and will also see greater use of data and technology and easier sharing of patient data, by putting all patient health information, test results and letters on the NHS app.
The Government estimates this will save 140,000 hours of staff time every year.
As part of its plan to “move from sickness to prevention”, the Goverment will also look into giving patients with diabetes or high blood pressure smart watches and other wearable tech so they can monitor their own health at own home.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said it was “vital” that the service “innovates and adapts” as it faces “an unprecedented number of challenges”.
She said: “The 10 Year Health Plan is a chance to make the best practice, normal practice across the country.
“So, we will be carrying out the largest ever staff engagement exercise in NHS history and leaving no stone unturned as we seek to harness frontline views, alongside those of patients and the public, to ensure this happens.
“It is your experiences – good, bad, and sometimes frustrating – that we need to help shape this once in a generation opportunity, so please get involved.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the Government to show “ambition” in its plans, or risk the consultation “becoming a talking shop“.
He said: “We know that primary care services across the country are at the brink of collapse due to the Conservative Party‘s disgraceful neglect, with patients paying the price.
“Whether it is sky-high GP waiting lists, endless ambulance response times, or a failure to diagnose cancer in time, none of these issues can be fixed without fixing the crisis in social care.
“That is why the Liberal Democrats will make sure that social care is part of the debate and push for a cross-party solution to this crisis.”
Mr Streeting has previously talked about three “big shifts” he wants to see in the NHS.
The first is from hospitals to the community, with more care being delivered closer to people’s homes.
The second shift is from treatment to prevention, with a greater focus on keeping people healthy.
The third shift involves greater use of digital technology in general, including by creating a single, digital patient record to speed up the sharing of information about a patient and prevent them from having to repeat their medical history at every appointment.
