The political party conference season is upon us now. It is an opportunity to rally supporters, showcase policies, and stake their claim as the best choice to lead the country. One of the most critical aspects discussed during these conferences is health, particularly the future of the National Health Service (NHS). With healthcare constantly at the top of voters’ concerns, party manifestos often reflect the competing visions for how best to address challenges such as rising demand, funding shortfalls, and access to care.
These conferences provide a platform to unveil plans and policies that may lead to general election manifestos. The health section of these documents tends to be one of the most closely scrutinised. What the parties promise in terms of healthcare spending, reform, and strategy can have a lasting impact on the quality and accessibility of care in the UK.
This season comes amid mounting pressure on the NHS. Chronic staffing shortages, record-long waiting lists, and the continuing fallout from the pandemic are stretching resources.
Funding the NHS can be contentious. All parties agree that the NHS needs more resources. How to provide these resources leads to divided opinions.
Staffing the NHS is a challenge with a workforce crisis. Vacancies across the board in both primary and secondary care. Ring-fenced funding that limits innovation and creative ways of staffing, most publicised is the primary care funding that cannot be used to use locum general practitioners (GP) leading to overwhelming pressures on primary care and unemployed doctors.
Hopefully the focus will be on increasing recruitment, improving working conditions, and enhancing pay. The retention of staff is paramount, we are investing training people who then leave, either the profession completely or go to work abroad as the working conditions can be so poor.
Mental health has been given a higher priority but still does not have equal parity to physical health. The waiting for assessments and treatments remains long. This has lengthened further because of lockdowns in the pandemic.
Social care does need to be tied up more closely with health. How this is achieved may be interesting. There is an urgent need for staffing, appropriate care and funding to alleviate the strain on families, informal carers and the NHS.
Innovation and using AI-driven diagnostics is exciting and part of modernising the NHS. Digital health records will improve efficiency. Both will improve health outcomes. However, there needs to be a balance between technology and ensuring it does not exacerbate inequalities to access.
Preventative healthcare is often cited as a long-term solution to reducing the burden on the NHS. Emphasising the importance of prevention, tackling obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption, promoting healthier lifestyles through education and community programs.
Ed Davey said on Tuesday, “We cherish the NHS. It’s one of the things that makes us proudest to be British. One of the things that makes us proud to be liberals. Because don’t let anyone forget that it was a Liberal – William Beveridge – who invented the NHS. And we are indebted to the incredible staff who keep it going in the most difficult circumstances and under the most intense pressures.
“But with such long waiting lists, so many staff vacancies, and so many hospitals literally crumbling, the NHS simply isn’t working the way it used to – or the way it should. We need to transform the way we do health and care in this country.”
Jatinder Hayre, (doctor and Labour Party campaigner) is bringing a motion this week about physician associates and the public confusion in that they are not doctors and the government to review their regulation, scope and training. There are at least 5 sessions on health-related subjects. We shall see what they entail throughout this week.
The conservatives have over 20 sessions on health. Their conference starts on 29th September 2024.
We have interesting times ahead and this is a difficult period. Mental health issues with anxiety, poverty and poor growth. Physical health problems with little access to healthy outdoor spaces and a healthy diet. Housing challenges leading to health problems. Access to a good education in some areas are limited leading to poverty and poor health.
What can you do?
You can contact your MP and find out what your representative is actioning for health. Contact your local councillor to find out what your council is providing for safe housing and good education in your area.
Campaign and lobby for a better future for everyone.