Curing the ills of NHS
14 Sep 2023
Starmer’s changes to his top team last week notably kept his shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in post. Wes Streeting is seen as a strong performer in the role but has come in for criticism from some in the Party for his willingness to use the private sector to deliver public services. In the fifth report of DRD’s Labour series, DRD examines how an incoming Labour government would approach the health portfolio – and what it says about the Party’s wider direction of travel.
Against the backdrop of its 75th anniversary, the state of the NHS has been laid bare. Labour has declared that it faces “an unprecedented immediate crisis and an existential long-term challenge”. While adhering to the principle of being free at the point of access for all patients, the NHS is facing a multiplicity of issues. These centre around long wait times for GP appointments, ambulance services, A&E and hospital treatments, each of which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, rolling strikes and chronic workforce shortages only add to the issues.
How, then, will Labour approach health policy and the strains of the NHS? Without more money or a bold plan to restructure, how will industry players be impacted by an incoming Labour government?
In the fifth report of DRD’s Labour series, DRD examines how an incoming Labour government would approach the health portfolio – and what it says about the Party’s wider direction of travel.
To read the full report, click here.