Government launches major 'national conversation' on future of NHS

Billed as "the biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since its birth", members of the public will be able to share their views online via change.NHS.uk until the start of next year

The Government will launch a major consultation on the future of the NHS on Monday, promising to put patients and staff at the heart of its 10-year health plan.

Billed as "the biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since its birth", members of the public will be able to share their views online via change.NHS.uk until the start of next year.

The consultation is part of the Government's plans to transform the NHS into a "neighbourhood health service", shifting more care from hospitals to communities.

The plan, expected to be published in spring 2025, will also see greater use of data and technology, with easier sharing of patient data, saving an estimated 140,000 hours of staff time every year.

Announcing the consultation, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "My mum worked for the NHS, my sister worked for the NHS, and my wife still works for the NHS so I know first-hand how difficult it has been for staff, and for patients battling against a broken system for over a decade. But it's time to roll up our sleeves and fix it."

"We have a clear plan to fix the health service, but it's only right that we hear from the people who rely on the NHS every day to have their say and shape our plan as we deliver it."

"Together we can build a healthcare system that puts patients first and delivers the care that everyone deserves."

"We have a huge opportunity to put the NHS back on its feet. So let's be the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history and made it fit for the future."

Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged the public to "help us build a health service fit for the future", saying he wants NHS staff and patients to have their "fingerprints all over" the 10-year plan.

He said: "When I was diagnosed with kidney cancer, the NHS saved my life, as it has for so many people across our country. We all owe the NHS a debt of gratitude for a moment in our lives when it was there for us, when we needed it. Now we have a chance to repay that debt."

"Today the NHS is going through the worst crisis in its history. But, while the NHS is broken, it's not beaten. Together, we can fix it."