Keir Starmer Outlines Decade-Long Reform Plan for UK NHS

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has committed to a 10-year reform plan for the National Health Service, emphasizing the need for substantial changes rather than temporary fixes. The plan aims to address rising healthcare costs, long backlogs, and improve service quality, while avoiding tax increases for working people.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a bold 10-year strategy to overhaul the National Health Service (NHS). The commitment follows an independent report that highlighted the system's critical condition, exacerbated by recent harsh winters, COVID-19's impact, and ongoing industrial actions.

The Labour Party leader, whose party achieved a landslide victory in July, advocated for 'major surgery' instead of 'sticking plaster solutions' to address escalating healthcare costs without increasing taxes. 'Working people can't afford to pay more, so it's reform or die,' said Starmer, acknowledging the potential unpopularity of the changes.

Starmer is yet to unveil specific details but emphasized that the previous Conservative government left the NHS in disarray. The independent report revealed that the NHS entered the COVID-19 pandemic with historically low resilience, attributing the issues to a lack of investment and ineffective previous reforms. Starmer aims to transition the NHS from analogue to digital, focus on community care, and prioritize preventative healthcare. Critics from the Conservative side argue that Starmer's plan lacks actionable specifics.

(With inputs from agencies.)