Consultation on the future of the NHS in England launched today
21/10/2024
A consultation was launched today by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, and the Prime Minister ahead of a new 10-year plan for the NHS to be published next spring. The consultation is billed “the biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since it was founded 76 years ago”.
The consultation follows the recent “Independent Review of the NHS in England” led by former Health Minister Lord Darzi.
Now is the time to have your say
The Department of Health and Social Care is leading this work, alongside NHS England (NHSE). Members of the public, healthcare professionals, charities and anyone with an interest in the NHS in England are being encouraged to respond and to submit new ideas. A new website has been launched to support engagement on the future of the NHS: change.nhs.uk.
People affected neurological conditions see directly what’s working and what’s going wrong. Many people tell us their care is not joined up or waits for treatment and support have been too long. The Government has pledged to make the NHS “fit for the future” and believes that can only be done by learning from the experiences of people who work in and use the health service.
The forthcoming NHS 10-year plan, which this consultation will shape, will set out key changes for healthcare over the next decade. Now is the time for people affected by neurological conditions, and organisations who provide support, campaign for change and fund research to have their say on what should be in that plan.
Prevention, Digital and Care Closer to Home
The Government today also used the launch of the consultation to reiterate the three “big shifts” they want to see from healthcare:
- from sickness to prevention
- from hospital to the community
- shifting from analogue to digital.
We need a plan that works for the 1 in 6
Miranda Lloyd, Communications and External Affairs Officer, attended the launch event today with the Prime Minister.
“There was a mood of cautious optimism at the consultation launch event this morning. It is great to see so many people, including people affected by neurological conditions, being invited to give their views on the forthcoming 10-year plan, including healthcare professionals, representatives from the voluntary sector, and a strong presence from the Department of Health and Social Care.
Now is the moment to have our say, so we see a long-term plan that reflects the reality of living with neurological conditions. The plan must deliver meaningful improvement in care, treatment and support for the 1 in 6 people living with neurological conditions throughout the country, as well as for their families and loved ones and everyone around them. This consultation is step one in this process.”
What next?
There are lots of ways to get involved in the consultation. Organisations can submit a response to the consultation through the website (change.nhs.uk) by 2 December. The Neurological Alliance, together with members and people affected by neurological conditions, will be shaping our response in the coming weeks. We will also be providing support to our member organisations to submit their own responses too.
Members of the public can also have their way via the website over the next six months. People are encouraged to “submit their ideas” on the website too. We encourage every person with a neurological condition to submit their ideas and respond, if they wish. There are alternative formats available too. If you wish to take part in an alternative format, please email changenhs@thinksinsight.com.
The final 10-year plan is expected to be published in spring 2025, and is intended to coincide with the next ‘Comprehensive Spending Review’ (CSR). The CSR will set out Government spending for the remainder of this Parliament.
