Starmer warns NHS must reform or die, unveils 10-year plan

KEIR Starmer will outline a 10-year plan on Thursday to address the National Health Service's (NHS) current crisis after an independent report found the system to be in a critical state.

In his speech, the prime minister is expected to emphasise that the NHS must "reform or die" to survive growing pressures without increasing taxes.

This comes after a 142-page investigation by Ara Darzi, a member of the House of Lords, which revealed significant challenges facing the NHS.

The report found that the health of British citizens had worsened over the past 15 years and identified rising waiting lists and poor treatment of major conditions like cancer as key issues.

Darzi pointed to a lack of investment, top-down reorganisation, and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic as contributing factors.

Starmer, whose government has been focused on securing pay deals with health workers, will stress the need for major reforms rather than short-term fixes. "What we need is the courage to deliver long-term reform—major surgery, not sticking plaster solutions," Starmer is expected to say, according to advance excerpts of his speech.

You have every right to be angry about the state of our NHS.

We need courage to achieve long-term reform - major surgery not sticking plaster solutions.

My government will work with NHS staff, experts and patients to deliver the biggest reimagining of the NHS since its birth.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 12, 2024

Darzi's report also found that nearly 7.6 million people are now on NHS waiting lists, with some waiting 12 hours or more at accident and emergency wards. Despite these challenges, Darzi noted that the NHS’s “vital signs remain strong,” but added that more needs to be done to adapt to rising demand.

Starmer will also address the economic impact of the NHS crisis, noting that 2.8 million people in the UK are economically inactive due to long-term sickness. He plans to focus reforms on moving the NHS from an analogue system to a digital one, providing more care in the community, and shifting the emphasis from treating illness to preventing it.

"The NHS is at a fork in the road, and we have a choice about how it should meet these rising demands," Starmer will say. He is expected to frame his plan around making the NHS fit for the future without increasing the burden on taxpayers.

In addition, Starmer will argue that previous Conservative governments left the NHS in a weakened state. His predecessor, Rishi Sunak, had initiated a 15-year plan to recruit 300,000 staff, but shortages remain a significant issue.

Starmer’s plan will aim to reimagine the NHS, with input from both staff and patients. “Instead of the top-down approach of the past, this plan is going to have the fingerprints of NHS staff and patients all over it,” Starmer is expected to say.

While Starmer’s government oversees the NHS in England, health services in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland remain under devolved control.

(With inputs from agencies)