PM speech on the NHS: 12 September 2024
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech on the NHS at the King's Fund today.
Please note: Political content has been redacted from this transcript.
As you have heard聽today, Lord Darzi聽has聽published his independent report on the state of our NHS.聽
It is an incredibly comprehensive analysis.聽Some of you will have seen it, there are copies available, please read it.
A raw and honest assessment.聽That is what we asked for.
And聽that is why聽I wanted to come here to the King바카라 사이트檚 Fund.聽
Home to many of our country바카라 사이트檚 leading healthcare experts.
Because your contributions are going to be vital.
As we get this precious institution back on its feet,
And build an NHS that is truly fit for the future.聽
And look, our starting point couldn바카라 사이트檛 be further from that goal.聽聽
Public satisfaction in the NHS has fallen바카라 사이트�
[Please note political content redacted here.]
To an all-time low today.聽
Think of the impact that has on staff who are putting in so much day in day out, knowing that confidence is at an all-time low.
And that is because, as everybody in the country knows, the last government broke the NHS.聽聽
But until this morning, we didn바카라 사이트檛 know the full scale of the damage,聽which is laid bare in the report.
Even Lord Darzi, with all his years of experience.聽聽
Is shocked by what he discovered.聽聽
It is unforgiveable.
And people have every right to be angry.聽聽
It바카라 사이트檚聽not just because the NHS is so personal to all of us.聽
Or because when people can바카라 사이트檛 get the care they need바카라 사이트�
They바카라 사이트檙e off work sick, with huge costs for our economy.
It바카라 사이트檚 because some of these failings are literally life and death.聽
Take the waiting times in A&E바카라 사이트β�
More than 100,000 infants waited more than 6 hours last year바카라 사이트β�
And nearly a tenth of all patients are now waiting for 12 hours or more바카라 사이트β�
That바카라 사이트檚 not just a source of fear and anxiety바카라 사이트β犅�
It바카라 사이트檚 leading to thousands of avoidable deaths바카라 사이트�.
And that phrase avoidable deaths should always be chilling.
That바카라 사이트檚聽people바카라 사이트檚 loved ones who could have been saved.聽聽
Doctors and nurses whose whole vocation is to save them바카라 사이트β�
Hampered from doing so.聽
It바카라 사이트檚 devastating. Heartbreaking. Infuriating바카라 사이트β犅�
And that바카라 사이트檚 just scratching the surface.聽
High-risk heart attack patients waiting too long for urgent treatment.
Cancer聽diagnosis聽patients聽waiting too long바카라 사이트�.聽
With cancer death rates higher than other countries聽
And when it comes to getting help for mental health 바카라 사이트β�
바카라 사이트�. 345,000 are waiting over a year.
That바카라 사이트檚 roughly the entire population of Leicester.
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Covid hit our NHS harder than healthcare systems in other countries.聽聽
The NHS delayed, cancelled, or postponed far more routine care during the pandemic than any comparable health system.聽
And why?聽
Because our NHS went into the pandemic in a much more fragile state.聽聽
Fewer doctor, fewer nurses and fewer beds than most other high income health systems
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What Lord Darzi describes as a 바카라 사이트渃alamity without international precedent바카라 사이트�.
A 바카라 사이트渟corched earth바카라 사이트澛燼pproach to health reform, the effects of which are still felt to this day.
And at the same time, they inflicted what the report describes as:聽
바카라 사이트渢he most austere decade since the NHS was founded바카라 사이트澛犅�
Crumbling buildings.
Decrepit portacabins.
Mental health patients in Victorian-era cells infested with vermin.聽
When we say they broke the NHS바카라 사이트β�
That바카라 사이트檚 not performative politics.聽
Just look at it.聽
The 2010s were a lost decade for our NHS.
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And it바카라 사이트檚 not just the state of our National Health Service in crisis.
It바카라 사이트檚 also the state of our national health.聽
We바카라 사이트檙e becoming a sicker society.聽
Spending more of our lives in ill-health than ten years ago.聽
There are 2.8 million people economically inactive because of long-term sickness.
As today바카라 사이트檚 report聽makes clear -
바카라 사이트淭he NHS is not contributing to national prosperity as it could.바카라 사이트澛�
But聽perhaps Lord Darzi바카라 사이트檚 most damning finding is about the declining physical and mental health of our children.
Fewer children getting vaccinated바카라 사이트β�
While those from the most deprived backgrounds바카라 사이트β�
Are twice as likely to be obese by reception age.
And much of this is a direct result of wider social injustices..聽
Poor quality housing
Lower incomes,
Insecure employment.
All of it, not just damaging the health of our nation바카라 사이트β�
It바카라 사이트檚 piling up the pressures on our NHS.
That바카라 사이트檚 the report.
But look, I haven바카라 사이트檛 come here just to set out this appalling inheritance.聽Though it is really important that we know it and properly understand it in detail.
Getting people back to health and work would not only reduce the costs on the NHS.聽
It would help drive economic growth - and fund public services.
My government was elected on a mandate for change so I바카라 사이트檓 also here to talk about how together we fix it.
I feel very deeply the profound responsibility聽for this.
And indeed, the opportunity of this moment.聽
The NHS may be broken, but it바카라 사이트檚 not beaten.聽
As the report says, the NHS聽may be in a 바카라 사이트渃ritical condition바카라 사이트�.聽
But 바카라 사이트渋ts vital signs are strong바카라 사이트�.
And聽we need is the courage to deliver long-term reform.
Major surgery not sticking plasters.聽聽
We바카라 사이트檝e got to face up to the challenges바카라 사이트�.
Look at聽our ageing society.聽
And the higher burden of disease.聽
Look, the NHS is at a fork in the road.
And we have a choice about how it should meet these rising demands.
Don바카라 사이트檛 act and leave it to die.
Raise taxes on working people.
Or reform to secure its future.聽
Working people can바카라 사이트檛 afford to pay more.
So it바카라 사이트檚 reform or die.聽
So聽let me be clear from the outset, what reform does not mean.聽聽
First, it does not mean abandoning those founding ideals.聽
Of a public service, publicly funded, free at the point of use.
That basic principle of dignity.
Inspired聽of course聽by Bevan,
That when you fall ill,
You should never have to worry about the bill.聽
That is as true today as when the NHS was founded 76 years ago.聽
And I believe that so deeply.聽聽
As some of you will know,聽my mum and my sister both worked for the NHS.聽
My wife works for the NHS.聽
The NHS cared for my Mum throughout聽what was a very
But 바카라 사이트渋ts vital signs are strong바카라 사이트�.
long illness바카라 사이트β�
The NHS runs through my family like a stick of rock.聽
And you know, this isn바카라 사이트檛 just about emotion.
It바카라 사이트檚 about hard facts too.聽
The NHS is uniquely placed for the opportunities of big data and predictive and preventative medicine.
So the problem isn바카라 사이트檛 that the NHS is the wrong model.聽
It바카라 사이트檚 the right model.
It바카라 사이트檚 just not taking advantage of the opportunities in front of it.聽
And聽that바카라 사이트檚 what needs to change.
Second, reform does not mean just putting more money in.聽聽
Of course, even in difficult financial circumstances.
My government will always make the investments in our NHS that are needed.聽 Always.聽聽聽
But we have to fix the plumbing before turning on the taps.
So hear me when I say this.聽
No more money without reform.
I am not prepared to see even more of your money spent
On agency staff who cost 拢5,000 a shift聽
On appointment letters, which arrive after the appointment,
Or on paying for people to be stuck in hospital
Just because they can바카라 사이트檛 get the care they need in the community.聽聽
Tonight, there will be 12,000 patients in that聽very聽position.
That바카라 사이트檚 enough to fill 28 hospitals.聽
So聽we can바카라 사이트檛 go on like this.聽
As Lord Darzi has said -
NHS staff are 바카라 사이트渨orking harder than ever바카라 사이트澛�
But 바카라 사이트減roductivity has fallen.바카라 사이트澛犅�
Because patients can바카라 사이트檛 be discharged,
And clinicians are spending their time trying to find聽more聽beds.
Rather than treating more patients.聽聽
That isn바카라 사이트檛 just solved by more money - it바카라 사이트檚 solved by reform.聽
And third, reform does not mean trying to fix everything from Whitehall.聽It really doesn바카라 사이트檛.
When Lord Darzi says the vital signs of the NHS are strong.聽
He바카라 사이트檚 talking about the talents and passion of our NHS workforce.聽聽That바카라 사이트檚 what he바카라 사이트檚 talking about.
The breadth and depth of clinical talent.聽
The extraordinary compassion and care of our NHS staff.聽聽
If we are going to build an NHS that is fit for the future바카라 사이트β犅�
Then I tell you, we are going to do it with our NHS staff.聽
And聽indeed,聽with聽our聽patients too.聽聽
We are going to change it together.聽
Now, that starts with the first steps,
40,000 extra appointments every week.聽
But we바카라 사이트檝e got to do the hard yards of long-term reform.聽聽
So this government is working at pace
To build a Ten-Year Plan.聽
Something so different from anything that has聽gone before.
This plan will be framed around three big shifts,
Three fundamental reforms,
Which are rooted in what Lord Darzi has set out today.聽
First, moving from an analogue to a digital NHS.
Already we can see glimpses of the extraordinary potential of technology,
Like the world바카라 사이트檚 first ever non-invasive, knifeless surgery for Kidney cancer바카라 사이트β燡ust imagine that.
Pioneered by Leeds Teaching Hospitals.聽
Or the precision cancer scanners바카라 사이트�
I saw just yesterday.
Or simply for transforming how we manage a condition.
We went聽to Kingsmill Hospital earlier this year聽and met a 12-year old called Molly.
She used a smartphone to monitor her glucose levels바카라 사이트β�
Instead of being forced to repeatedly prick her fingers.聽聽
It made such a difference to her daily life and gave great reassurance to her mum聽who could remotely check on the settings and the findings.
We바카라 사이트檝e got to make these opportunities available to everyone.聽聽
We바카라 사이트檝e got to use technology to empower patients and give them much greater control over their healthcare.聽
Take an innovation like the NHS app.
This could be a whole digital front door to the NHS.聽
Appointments, self-referral, reminders for check-ups and screenings.
Patients in control of their own data,
Healthcare so much more transparent,
So you always know your options,
And the standards聽that聽you should expect.聽
And you know, earlier this year I went to Alder Hey Hospital.聽Many of you will know it, it바카라 사이트檚 a聽fantastic hospital,聽where they carry out heart surgery on infants,聽which is really humbling to see.
I met the parents of a two-year old who had extremely complicated聽heart聽surgery.聽A tiny infant, an incredible surgery.聽
I asked them about their child바카라 사이트檚 history and condition,聽how did he come to be here, what바카라 사이트檚 the story behind it,
And聽as they told me,聽I could see them welling up as they went through the history, conditions, all the background through all of that over and over again.聽
They really struggled to tell the story and they have to do this every single time.
Because the records weren바카라 사이트檛 held electronically.聽
We바카라 사이트檝e got to have fully digital patient records.
So that crucial information is there for you.
Wherever you go in our NHS.聽
And while I바카라 사이트檓 on technology
We바카라 사이트檙e also going to throw the full weight of the British 바카라 사이트 behind our world leading life sciences.
Second, we바카라 사이트檝e got to shift more care from hospitals to communities.聽聽
Now聽The King바카라 사이트檚 Fund has long called for this.
Successive governments have repeatedly promised it.聽
But what바카라 사이트檚 happened?聽
The opposite.聽
The share of the NHS budget spent on hospitals has聽actuallyincreased.
Now聽this Ten-Year plan has to be the moment we change this.
The moment we begin to turn our National Health Service聽
into a Neighbourhood Health Service.聽
That means more tests, scans, healthcare offered on high streets and town centres.聽
Improved GP access.
Bringing back the family doctor.
Offering digital consultations for those who want them,
Then they told me that every time they went to a different hospital, they had to go virtual wards.
And聽more patients can be safely looked after in their own homes.聽
Where we can deal with problems early,
Before people are off work sick and before they need to go to hospital.聽
And we바카라 사이트檝e got to make good on the integration of health and social care.
So we can discharge those 28 hospitals worth of patients.
Saving money.聽聽
Reducing the strain on our NHS,
And giving people better treatment.聽聽
And third聽in terms of the shifts,聽we바카라 사이트檝e got to be much bolder in moving from sickness to prevention.聽聽
Now聽we바카라 사이트檝e already announced NHS health checks in workplaces.聽
Blood pressure checks at dentists and opticians.
And that is just the beginning.聽
Planning for ten years means we can make long-term investments in new technologies
That will help catch and prevent problems earlier.聽
And there are some areas in particular聽
Where we바카라 사이트檝e just got to be more ambitious.
Like children바카라 사이트檚 mental health.
Or children바카라 사이트檚 dentistry.
You know, one of the most shocking things聽that I saw,聽I바카라 사이트檝e ever seen바카라 사이트β�
This was actually when I was at聽was at Alder Hey Children바카라 사이트檚 Hospital again.聽
As I mentioned earlier, I went to the ward where they do heart operations.
The single biggest cause of children going into that hospital바카라 사이트�
Between the ages of 6 and 10바카라 사이트β�
Was to have their rotting teeth taken out.聽I couldn바카라 사이트檛 believe it. I was genuinely shocked.聽
All politicians say they are shocked too often, but I was honestly shocked, the single biggest cause of going into hospital of children between 6 and 10 is having their teeth taken out.
Can you think of anything more soul-destroying?
For those children聽what a price to pay.
And for that brilliant NHS team聽who want to use their talents to save lives.
Instead spending their time taking out rotting teeth.
Something that could be so easily prevented.聽
And look, I know some prevention measures will be controversial.聽
I바카라 사이트檓 prepared to be bold even in the face of loud opposition.聽
So no, some of our changes won바카라 사이트檛 be universally popular.聽聽We know that.
But I will do the right thing - for our NHS, our economy, and our children.聽聽
Now, the task before us is the work of our generation.聽聽
We바카라 사이트檝e already hit the ground running.聽
Negotiating an offer to end the strikes
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Strikes that were costing us all a fortune.
And we inherited 1,000 trainee GPs聽who were聽set to graduate into unemployment바카라 사이트β�
Instead we hired聽them.
But only fundamental reform and a plan for the long-term can turn around the NHS and build a healthy society.聽聽
It won바카라 사이트檛 be easy,聽it won바카라 사이트檛 be聽or聽quick.聽
It will take a ten-year plan.聽
Not the work of just one Parliament.聽聽
But I know we can do it.聽聽
Because we바카라 사이트檝e done reform before.
[Please note political content redacted here.]
To deliver better outcomes for patients and better value for taxpayers.
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My 바카라 사이트 has a huge mandate for change.
We are mission-driven.
And聽I think the themes of this conference today are fitting for this moment.聽
Challenge. Change.聽And聽hope.聽
Because the challenge is clear before us.聽
The change could amount to the biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth.聽
And the hope, well that바카라 사이트檚 what바카라 사이트檚 really exciting and galvanising about this moment.
Because聽if we get this right,聽聽
People can look back and say -聽聽
This was the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history.聽聽
Got it back on its feet and made it fit for the future.