Labour’s plans to revamp the NHS involve significantly increasing capacity.

11 October 2023

It’s conference season and with a year to the next general election , health and the future of the NHS is one of the most discussed topics by delegates of all parties. Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has emphasised the need for substantial reform, warning that without it, the NHS may not survive another 75 years. Streeting has critiqued the inefficiency of merely increasing funding without addressing systemic issues, highlighting the need for a more effective use of resources​​.

Key components of Labour’s proposed reforms include:

• Increasing Capacity and Accessibility: Labour intends to significantly increase NHS service capacity. This includes providing 2 million more operations, scans, and appointments per year, particularly during evenings and weekends, and ensuring the availability of 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments. This plan will be funded by additional spending, including £1.1 billion allocated for staff overtime​​.
• Technological Advancements: There is a focus on adopting cutting-edge technology, like AI-scanners that are 35% faster, to enable early diagnosis and efficient patient management​​​​.
• Expanding Workforce: A major thrust of Labour’s plan is to significantly expand the NHS workforce, including more doctors, nurses, and midwives. The party promises the largest expansion in NHS staff in history, aiming to address staff shortages and improve patient care​​​​.
• Mental Health Support: Recognizing the growing mental health crisis, Labour proposes to introduce mental health support in every school and community, with plans to recruit 8,500 additional mental health professionals​​.
• Shifting Focus to Community and Prevention: Labour plans to shift the focus from hospital-centric care to community-based care and prevention. This includes expanding community pharmacy services, bringing back the family doctor system, and initiating preventive measures like breakfast clubs in schools and banning junk-food ads targeted at children​​.

However, implementing these reforms presents challenges and requires creative thinking and action. Streeting has identified a threefold shift: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. He has also highlighted the need for a comprehensive plan for social care and the importance of addressing the NHS crisis holistically​​. The financial constraints and the high demand on NHS resources, including the significant backlog maintenance bill and the costs associated with new technology and a National Care Service, pose additional challenges. Labour’s strategy involves delivering better value from existing budgets and managing public expectations realistically in light of the constrained fiscal space​​.

An immediate priority for Labour would be addressing the care backlogs accrued during the pandemic and improving access to NHS dentistry. This will involve funding for additional scanners and clinics, along with tackling vested interests within the NHS. Streeting has emphasised the importance of making the NHS a neighbourhood health service centered on general practices and has committed to training more family doctors​​.

In summary, Labour’s plans for the NHS are ambitious and multi-faceted, aiming to address current challenges through a combination of increased capacity, technological advancements, workforce expansion, and a shift in focus towards community-based and preventive care. The execution of these plans will require innovative approaches and careful management of resources to ensure the NHS is equipped to meet future challenges effectively.