'Fix our NHS' plea as nation urged to come forward to share experiences

The government has issued a rallying cry to the nation to help fix the 'broken' NHS amid worries around long waiting times for GP and hospital appointments. Members of the public, and NHS staff, have been invited to share their experiences, views and ideas for the future of the NHS in an online consultation launched today, Monday, October 21.

In what was described as the 'biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since its birth', the country has been urged to help shape the government's ten-year health plan. It comes after a major review into the NHS found the service was in a 'critical condition' and failing to meet waiting targets.

The Change.NHS.uk website went live today with the government saying it was 'vital' that patients voices were heard. Launching the service at Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital last week, Baroness Gillian Merron, parliamentary under-secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, said the NHS was 'broken but not beaten.'

READ MORE: Attempted murder arrest after woman left with 'life-threatening' injuries in Bescot Stadium railway station assault

The health plan will be published next spring. The Darzi review, published last month, found the NHS was in 'serious trouble.' Baroness Merron said its 'shocking' findings outlined patients waiting 'far too long' for treatment.

She said: "This is the biggest conversation about the National Health Service that has ever taken place. We're asking everyone, whether that's patients or staff, to give their views, ideas and concerns to shape the future of the NHS.

"We know what the problems are - the NHS is broken but not beaten. What we need now is a 10-year-plan to get our NHS right and we're really keen, as a new government, to work with the public towards that. That's how we're going to move foward together."

According to the latest data, the number of patients waiting more than four hours in Birmingham A&E's increased by a third in the past four years. Quizzed on how the announcement would tackle long waiting times, Baroness Merron said: "We've already committed to having 40,000 extra appointments every week across the country which will go a long way to address waiting times.

"But this consultation will mean people in the West Midlands will have a voice which will be listened to. Your voice will help us create a plan of things we can immediately change, things we need to change in the medium term and what we need to do in the long term."

The Prime Minister said today: "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."