The NHS is facing its “worst crisis in its history”, according to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as the government launches a major consultation on the future of the health service.
Labour has vowed to transform the NHS into a “neighbourhood health service”, with a greater focus on preventative care and community-based support. Care Minister Stephen Kinnock acknowledged the government has a “mountain to climb” to fix the ailing system, which has struggled under 14 years of Conservative rule.
Kinnock insisted any new funding for the NHS would be tied to reforms, warning that “just pumping more money into a system without reforming it is like turning on the taps without fixing the plumbing.” The government’s 10-year plan aims to shift care from hospitals to communities, as well as increase the use of digital technology to streamline patient records.
However, the government has faced criticism over its reluctance to define who will be considered “working people” under Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on them. Care Minister Kinnock repeatedly refused to say whether high earners would be covered, leaving the door open for a potential tax raid on six-figure salaries.
With the NHS in its “last chance saloon”, according to Kinnock, the government faces a race against time to overhaul the struggling health service and deliver on its ambitious reform agenda. The upcoming Budget is expected to include a real-terms funding increase, but ministers have warned this must be accompanied by significant structural changes.
