Government calls on British public to share experiences and ideas to 'help fix our NHS'

The British public and clinicians are being asked to share their experiences and ideas to “help fix our NHS”.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is calling on the entire country to help shape the government’s “10 Year Health Plan” with a “national conversation”.

Members of the public, NHS staff and experts are being invited to share their experiences, views and ideas on how the health service should move forward.

People can submit their ideas on change.nhs.uk or on the NHS app until the beginning of next year.

Mr Streeting, who was treated for kidney cancer in 2021, said the NHS “saved my life” and everyone owed the health service “a debt of gratitude”.

“Now we have a chance to repay that debt,” he said.

“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 first-hand what’s great, but also what isn’t working. We need your ideas to help turn the NHS around.”

The project is part of what the government is calling a shift “from hospital to community”.

It will include plans for new neighbourhood health centres where patients will be able to see GPs, district nurses, care workers, physiotherapists, health visitors and mental health specialists in the same place.

They also want to change the NHS “from analogue to digital” by putting all patient health information, test results and letters on the NHS app.

New laws will be introduced, the government says, to make NHS patient records available across all NHS trusts, GP surgeries and ambulance services in England to speed up patient care, reduce repeat medical tests and minimise medication errors.

The government estimates NHS staff will save 140,000 hours every year as they will be able to access patient data quickly, giving them more time to spend with patients.

As part of Labour’s plan to move “from sickness to prevention”, it is looking at opportunities to shorten the amount of time people are ill, and to prevent illnesses.

One of the options being considered is handing out smart watches and other wearable tech to patients with diabetes or high blood pressure so they can monitor their health at any time.

Sir Keir Starmer said the 10 Year Health Plan is 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,” he added.

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Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the government to show “ambition” in its plans, or risk the consultation “becoming a talking shop”.

He said: “We know that primary care services across the country are at the brink of collapse due to the Conservative Party’s disgraceful neglect, with patients paying the price.

“Whether it is sky-high GP waiting lists, endless ambulance response times, or a failure to diagnose cancer in time, none of these issues can be fixed without fixing the crisis in social care.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats will make sure that social care is part of the debate and push for a cross-party solution to this crisis.”