Starmer Unveils 10-Year NHS Reform Plan: No New Funding Without Significant Changes

Sir Keir Starmer has stated that financial support for the NHS is contingent on its reform, acknowledging that the proposed changes will require 'years, not months' to implement. He declined to specify when the public would start seeing benefits as he introduced a decade-long strategy to repair the "damaged" healthcare system.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Thursday, September 12, 2024, 2:

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Sir Keir Starmer has stated that the NHS must undergo reforms to receive additional funding, as he unveiled a decade-long strategy to overhaul the healthcare system.

The prime minister emphasized that his strategy to develop a future-ready NHS involves more than just financial investment and will require ten years to fully implement.

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Speaking at the King's Fund in central London, he stated, "We need to repair the underlying systems before we increase the flow."

"Listen closely, I insist that there be no further funding without changes."

The government has pledged three major changes in its strategy to repair the NHS:

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• Implementing advanced technology to develop a digitalized National Health Service.

• Transitioning healthcare services from hospitals to local community settings.

• Shifting the focus from merely treating illnesses to prioritizing preventive health measures.

Discussing issues within the NHS, Sir Keir expressed his reluctance to allocate funds for "agency staff who charge £5,000 per shift, for appointment notices that are delivered post-appointment, or for covering the costs of patients who remain hospitalized simply because community care services are unavailable to them."

This evening, 12,000 individuals will find themselves in that exact situation, equivalent to the capacity of 28 hospitals.

"Simply increasing funding won't fix that; it requires reform."

Sir Keir addressed the media as new NHS performance figures were released, indicating that the total backlog for medical procedures held steady in July, with about 7.62 million treatments pending for approximately 6.39 million individuals.

In September 2023, the count of treatments peaked at an unprecedented 7.77 million, subsequently declining for a few months, only to increase again in April, May, and June of the following year.

Dr. Nick Murch, the leader of the Society for Acute Medicine, stated that the latest NHS data "clearly shows the magnitude of the immediate challenges faced."

During the question-and-answer session following his address, the prime minister declined to specify a timeline for when patients might start noticing positive changes.

When queried by Sky News health correspondent Ashish Joshi about advice for currently ill individuals, Sir Keir stated that the effectiveness of his proposals would be assessed over years rather than months.

He stated: "I acknowledge the daunting task ahead of us, recognizing that its resolution will span years, not merely months. We must address the immediate concern of revitalizing the NHS for the benefit of those currently suffering."

"However, we cannot avoid the enduring transformation."

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The address follows a study ordered by the current administration revealing that the NHS is facing a "critical condition," characterized by unprecedented waiting times and excessive hospital budget expenditures.

The research conducted by independent peer and surgeon Lord Darzi highlights that the NHS is grappling with increasing demand for services due to prolonged life expectancy accompanied by chronic illnesses, along with low productivity levels in hospitals and dwindling staff morale.

The text denounces the policymaking during the tenure of the Conservative and coalition governments, highlighting the effects of austerity measures, a severe lack of funding, and the restructuring of the NHS following the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, which Lord Darzi described as "a disaster unparalleled on the global stage."

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He stated that the COVID pandemic occurred "at a time when resilience was extremely low."

The report also noted that "extended waiting periods have become the standard," cancer treatment is falling behind compared to other nations, and characterizes the emergency services as being "in a terrible condition."

Sir Keir stated that the Conservatives have "destroyed the NHS" and emphasized that "only a Labour government" has the ability to overhaul it, adding that it must either "reform or perish."

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