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News Report Page 10 of 14
Publication Date:-
2024-10-25
News reports located on this page = 2.

Government issues rallying cry to the nation to help fix NHS

THE biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since its birth was launched on:- Monday, 21 October, as the entire country is called upon to share their experiences of our health service and help shape the Government's 10 Year Health Plan.

Members of the public, as well as NHS staff and experts will be invited to share their experiences views and ideas for fixing the NHS via the online platform, Change.NHS.uk, which will be live until the start of next year, and available via the NHS App.

The public engagement exercise will help shape the Government's 10 Year Health Plan which will be published in spring 2025 and will be underlined by 3 big shifts in healthcare; Hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.

As part of the 1st shift:- "from Hospital to community," the Government wants to deliver plans for new neighbourhood health centres, which will be closer to homes and communities. Patients will be able to see family doctors, district nurses, care workers, physiotherapists, health visitors, or mental health specialists, all under the same roof.

In transforming the NHS from analogue to digital, the Government will create a more modern NHS by bringing together a single patient record, summarising patient health information, test results, and letters in 1 place, through the NHS App. It will put patients in control of their own medical history, meaning they don't have to repeat it at every appointment, and that staff have the full picture of patients' health. New laws are set to be introduced to make NHS patient health records available across all NHS trusts, GP Surgeries and Ambulance Services in England; speeding up patient care, reducing repeat medical tests, and minimising medication errors.

Systems will be able to share data more easily, saving NHS staff an estimated 140,000 hours of NHS staffs' time every year, because staff will have quicker access to patient data, saving time that can then be spent face to face with patients who need it most and potentially saving lives.

By moving from sickness to prevention, Government wants to shorten the amount of time people spend in ill health and prevent illnesses before they happen. As an example, the 10 Year Health Plan will explore the opportunities smart watches and other wearable tech may offer patients with diabetes or high blood pressure, so they can monitor their own health from the comfort of their own home.

The launch of the new online platform will take place at a health centre in East London, where the Secretary of State will meet with the Chief Executive of the London Ambulance Service before the 1st engagement event involving NHS staff from across the healthcare system as a start to the national conversation.

Prime Minister 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 firsthand 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 1st 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 and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting 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. Whether you use the NHS or work in it, you see 1st hand what's great, but also what isn't working. We need your ideas to help turn the NHS around. In order to save the things we love about the NHS, we need to change it. Our 10 Year Health Plan will transform the NHS to make it fit for the future, and it will have patients' and staff's fingerprints all over it. I urge everyone to go to:- Change.NHS.UK today and help us build a health service fit for the future."

Investment alone won't be enough to tackle the problems facing the NHS, why is why it must go hand in hand with fundamental reform.

The 3 big shifts will be our key principles for reform and will revolutionise the way people manage their health and access care. Our reforms will also shift the NHS away from late diagnosis and treatment to a model where more services are delivered in local communities and illnesses are prevented in the 1st place.

It is vital the Government hears from patients, experts and the NHS workforce to make sure we get this right and preserve the things people value about the health service.

NHS England Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said:- "NHS staff are facing an unprecedented number of challenges; with record demand for care, alongside growing pressures from an ageing population, rising levels of multiple long-term illnesses and patients with more complex needs. And they are often hampered by working in crumbling buildings with outdated tech, meaning too many patients are waiting too long for care they need. So, it is vital the health service innovates and adapts; as it has always done throughout its 76-year history; to design and deliver an NHS fit for the future. The 10 Year Health Plan is a chance to make the best practice, normal practice across the country. So, we will be carrying out the largest ever staff engagement exercise in NHS history and leaving no stone unturned as we seek to harness frontline views, alongside those of patients and the public, to ensure this happens. It is your experiences; good, bad, and sometimes frustrating; that we need to help shape this once in a generation opportunity, so please get involved!"

Bold ambitions for the NHS can only be achieved by listening to the expertise and knowledge of its 1.54 million strong workforce. Their understanding of what's holding them back from performing at their best will help us bring down waiting times and provide the world class care the public deserve.

The Government has already taken immediate action to address challenges in the health service and deliver an NHS fit for the future. Whether that's agreeing a deal with resident doctors within weeks, securing a funding increase for GP practices to manage rising pressures or hiring an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS by the end of this year, there are both short- and long-term reforms working hand in hand.

Lord Ara Darzi said:- "As my recent Investigation found, the NHS is in need of urgent and fundamental reform. The 10 Year Health Plan comes at a crucial moment, and by describing the ultimate destination for the health service, it will help improve decision-making in the here and now."

The start of this national conversation on the future of the NHS follows on from Lord Darzi's independent report into the health service that diagnosed its condition. Lord Darzi concluded the NHS is in a:- 'critical condition' with surging waiting lists and a deterioration in the nation's underlying health, identifying serious and widespread problems for people accessing services.

The launch of the engagement exercise for the 10 Year Health Plan will build on these findings and is the next step to delivering the Government's mission to fix the NHS and deliver a health service fit for the future.


1 in 4 Councils likely to need emergency Government bailout

25% of Councils in England say they are likely to have to apply for emergency Government bailout agreements to stave off bankruptcy in the next 2 financial years (2025/26 and 2026/27), a stark new survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) reveals.

The findings of the survey of Council Chief Executives comes as more than 1,500 Councillors, Council leaders, senior officers, politicians and organisations gather for the start of the LGA's Annual Conference in Harrogate.

The LGA is calling on the Chancellor to take immediate action in the Autumn Budget to stabilise Council finances and avoid another hammer blow being delivered to local services.

Alongside adequate Government funding to sustain the vital services that our communities rely on every day, the LGA wants to work with Government to ensure Councils receive multi year finance settlements and a cross-party review is set up into how the local Government funding system should be reformed.

An unprecedented 18 Councils were given Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the Government in February to help meet their legal duty to balance their books this year (2024/25). This includes:- them being given permission to use capital funds raised through borrowing, or the sale of assets such as land and buildings, to plug funding gaps in their day to day revenue spending. While this approach can provide temporary financial relief, there is a risk that EFS could potentially load already struggling Councils with further debt and costs in the future and/or undermine future capital programmes.

However, with Councils in England already facing a funding black hole of more than £2 billion next year, the LGA survey reveals a worsening crisis with a growing number of Councils being pushed closer to the financial brink and likely to need EFS. It shows that:

Around 1 in 10 Councils this year say they have discussed the possibility of requesting EFS from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

25% are likely to apply for EFS in 2025/26 and/or 2026/27 without additional Government funding.

44% of Councils with social care responsibilities said that they are likely to apply for EFS in 2025/26 and/or 2026/27 without additional Government funding.

It comes as Councils continue to face inflation and wage pressures alongside rising demand for services. The LGA said:- "We have highlighted the particular demand and cost pressure challenges in children's and adult social care, special educational needs and disabilities, home-to-school transport and temporary accommodation."

Councils were asked to identify their top 5 pressures by the LGA., who learned that:-Social Care authorities identified children's social care (93%), adult social care (90%), SEND services (80%), School transport (65%), and homelessness (64%). For shire districts, homelessness (85%) and waste services (82%) were top concerns.

The survey also lays bare the tough decisions facing Councils with many expecting to have to make cutbacks to community services next year. This could mean:- reduced hours of operation, reduced frontline staff numbers, longer waiting times, a reduced or less frequent level of service provision, and/or increased fees and charges.

62% of Councils say parks, green spaces will be affected alongside sport services. Almost 8 in 10 Councils say services and support for disabled adults and/or older people are likely to face cutbacks. Service cutbacks are also likely in services and support for children, young people and families (63% of relevant Councils).

Cllr Louise Gittins, LGA Chair, said:- "Councils are the backbone of communities. Every day they strive to protect vulnerable children and families, support our older or disabled loved ones to live independent lives, keep our streets clean and pothole-free and build affordable homes but this is becoming increasingly difficult. The unprecedented emergency support given to Councils this year reveals the extraordinary funding emergency facing local Government. As our survey shows, many more Councils are being pushed into a precarious financial position. This is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet. Budget cuts needed to plug growing funding gaps will affect the most vulnerable members of society and the services our communities rely on every day. The Autumn Budget must provide Councils with the financial stability they need to protect the services our communities rely on every day."

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