Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to issue a stark warning on Thursday that Britain's National Health Service (NHS) must undergo significant reform to survive,
following an independent report describing the institution as being in "critical condition."
Starmer, whose Labour Party won a landslide election victory in July, will pledge "the biggest reimagining" of the NHS since its founding 76 years ago. His speech in central London comes after the release of a 142-page investigation, which revealed that the overall health of the British population has worsened over the last 15 years.
The report, authored by Lord Ara Darzi, an independent member of the House of Lords, pointed to several factors contributing to the NHS's "disrepair," including underinvestment, top-down reorganizations, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We need the courage to implement long-term reform—major surgery, not just temporary fixes," Starmer is expected to say, according to pre-released excerpts of his speech.
"The NHS is at a crossroads, and we must decide how it will address rising demands. The choice is either to raise taxes on working people to cover the growing costs of an aging population, or to reform in order to secure its future. We know that working people cannot afford higher taxes, so it’s reform or die," Starmer is expected to declare.
Health Minister Wes Streeting, speaking to Sky News, outlined three key areas for change: shifting certain healthcare services from hospitals to community settings, fully transitioning from analog to digital systems, and empowering staff with the tools they need to improve productivity.
Streeting emphasized that the Labour government would not follow the approach of the previous Conservative government, which he accused of simply "pouring more money into a broken system without enacting meaningful reforms."
A 'Reimagined' NHS
Labour's victory over the Conservatives on July 4 was partly driven by their commitment to "fix" the NHS, with the party criticizing the Tories for "breaking" the healthcare system during their 14-year rule.
Darzi's report highlighted the increasing prevalence of patients with multiple chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and noted that the UK is trailing behind other countries in treating major diseases like cancer. Additionally, the report pointed to a growing crisis in emergency care, with waiting lists ballooning to 7.6 million and one in 10 patients waiting 12 hours or more in accident and emergency departments.
Although Darzi said he was "shocked" by the findings, he also noted that the NHS’s fundamental strengths remain intact.
In his speech, Starmer is expected to outline a 10-year plan focused on three areas of reform to "turn around the NHS." The NHS's universal healthcare model remains a point of national pride, despite its struggles to meet increasing demand.
Starmer’s vision echoes the previous Conservative government’s 2023 announcement of a 15-year strategy to recruit over 300,000 staff to address a severe shortage of healthcare professionals. At that time, the NHS was predicted to face a shortfall of 360,000 staff by 2037, driven by an aging population, insufficient numbers of domestically trained workers, and challenges in recruiting and retaining talent—exacerbated by changes in visa rules.
"The challenge before us is clear, and the reforms we propose could amount to the most significant reimagining of our NHS since its inception," Starmer is expected to say.
In his first two months in office, Starmer, whose mother worked as an NHS nurse, has frequently criticized the Conservatives for leaving Labour with significant challenges across various sectors, including healthcare, the economy, and prisons.
The Conservatives, led by Rishi Sunak—whose parents worked in healthcare—have countered these claims, accusing Starmer of exaggerating the state of the country’s issues as a pretext for potential future tax increases.