Coming Soon: The NHS Long-term Plan

With all the talk of Brexit and negotiation deadlines, it’s easy to forget the other big political reveal due this Autumn: The NHS Long-term Plan. Since the Prime Minister announced the Plan along with a 5-year financial settlement back in June, Civil Servants have been hard at work pulling together the detail. The plan is expected to be published with the budget in the Autumn.

The plan will need to set out ambitions for the next decade; tackling some of the big challenges facing the health system such as an aging population, increasing multi-morbidities and rising obesity, as well as utilising opportunities like an evolving understanding of genetics and ever improving technology and AI. However, the plan must also detail how the money agreed in the settlement will be spent over the next five years and we know that civil servants are looking for the solid actions that can be taken to improve the system in the immediate term.

This is a key influencing opportunity for all those working in the health sector - miss this and you may be waiting for another five years to have your big idea or crucial asks included in the national policy which local services will be following. NHS England has been hosting various consultation events to harness ideas and opinions and you can also submit your thoughts to the official consultation by 30th September here:

https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/developing-the-long-term-plan-for-the-nhs/

So if you’ve got something to say, thoughts on how the service can be improved or radical ideas for the future; don’t miss out!