Our response to the NHS-10 Year Plan Response
Today, the Government published its 10-Year Health Plan for England after an engagement exercise in which over a quarter of a million NHS staff and members of the public gave feedback.
Our network of 153 local Healthwatch services supported the plan by holding consultations with their communities. This helped to ensure that everybody, regardless of background or postcode, could shape the modernisation of the health service.
The plan's ambition, which proposes bold reforms on how services are funded, delivered, and evaluated, is welcome, with a strong focus on empowering patients throughout.
The plan adopts many recommendations made by Healthwatch England in our role as the statutory and independent champion for the voice of patients and the public.
We made evidence-backed calls to improve access to GPs and NHS dentistry, expand the role of community pharmacy, significantly increase NHS App functionality and reform the NHS complaints system.
Our Chief Executive, Louise Ansari, also chaired one of the working groups to help develop the plan. This group recommended bespoke mental health emergency care and a greater focus on experience and outcomes alongside performance activity.
These are all featured in the plan's ambitions and, if realised, will drive up patient experience and satisfaction.
That said, there are some key improvements that the plan has little or nothing to say about.
We know that poor satisfaction levels with care are linked to more than how quickly people are seen. Among the things absent from the plan are:
Increased support for people with disabilities and communication needs to interact with the NHS.
Better cost-of-living support, including improved schemes to help people with healthcare costs, such as transport.
More systematic offers of help and support for people while waiting for care.
Given our role in shaping the plan and acting as the public champion for the last 12 years, we are, of course, disappointed that the plan confirms that Healthwatch will be closed.
Our CEO, Louise Ansari, commented on this news when it was first announced.
