Wes Streeting claims Labour has ‘hit the ground running’ with NHS reform: ‘We’re getting it back on its feet’
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has claimed that Labour has “hit the ground running” with NHS reform, despite admitting that full changes will not begin until April 2025.
Speaking exclusively to GB News earlier today, Streeting highlighted early actions taken since Labour’s election victory in July, including the recruitment of 1,000 GPs and ending junior doctor strikes.
The Labour manifesto had promised to “transform the NHS”, starting with cutting waiting times by adding 40,000 more appointments every week. These pledges were said to have been fully costed.
However, Streeting had later claimed that the reforms cannot be expected until next spring at the earliest, adding: “Investment in the Budget, that comes in the new fiscal year in April, so that’s spring.”
Speaking to GB News Political Correspondent Katherine Forster, Streeting outlined the Government’s approach to NHS reform.
He said: “In the coming days, we’ll be sending crack teams of top clinicians into hospitals with high waiting lists to help them to reform ways of working.”
The Health Secretary emphasised the importance of public involvement in shaping the NHS’s future.
He urged people to participate in the national conversation, stating: “Whether you use the NHS or whether you work in it, I bet you have seen examples of things that are inefficient.
“You see examples of waste and you see things that if you were in my shoes, in fact, you’d probably shout at the TV.”
Streeting invited the public to share their ideas at change.nhs.uk, saying: “Be part of it and be part of the debate about the future of the NHS.”
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Streeting also addressed the Government’s plans for social care reform.
He revealed that Labour is currently developing a ten-year plan for social care, with the intention of involving care users, professionals, and other political parties in the process.
“We’re thinking right now, what’s the best way to involve them in that,” Streeting told GB News.
He also noted that opposition parties have expressed willingness to work with the Government on social care reform since July 4.
The health secretary emphasised the importance of cross-party collaboration, stating: “We’ve all got our fair share of blame on social care, and we’ve all got responsibility to work together to fix it.”
Streeting also highlighted immediate actions in social care, saying: “Today, we are legislating for the first ever fair pay agreements for care workers and building a social care profession vital for its future.”