Reeves to double down on new neighbourhood NHS model
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will double down on the government’s commitment to continuing to slash NHS waiting times in this week’s Budget, confirming the investment for hundreds of new Neighbourhood Health Centres.
At the Budget on Wednesday the Chancellor will set out how the government will take the fair choices to deliver on the country’s priorities to cut NHS waiting times, cut debt and cut the cost of living.
250 new health ‘one stop shops’ will bring the right local combination from GPs, nurses, dentists and pharmacists together under one roof to best meet the needs of the community, starting in the most deprived areas.
The centres will be part of a new Neighbourhood Health Service that will provide end-to-end care and tailored support – improving access to GPs, helping to prevent complications and avoid the frustration of being passed around the system.
As the Neighbourhood Health Service moves more outpatient care out of hospitals, these centres will provide space for clinics in communities across the country – bringing an end to the postcode lottery of access to healthcare.
Patients will get treatment minutes from home instead of travelling miles to often hard to reach hospitals, so the NHS is organised around patients’ needs – rather than patients organising their lives around the NHS.
Neighbourhood health services will initially focus on improving access to general practice and supporting people with complex needs and long-term conditions – like diabetes and heart failure – in the areas of the highest deprivation. As the programme grows, it will expand to support other patients and priority cohorts.
“At the Budget I’ll set out how we’ll deliver on the country’s priorities to cut NHS waiting times, cut debt and cut the cost of living. We’re driving down waiting lists by bringing healthcare to patients’ doorsteps and turbocharging NHS productivity with cutting-edge technology,” she said.
“Our record investment, combined with ruthless efficiency and reform, will deliver the better care and better outcomes our NHS patients deserve.”
Reeves is also set to turbocharge the drive to get waiting lists down by funnelling millions of pounds into upgrading technology in the health system – improving productivity so nurses and doctors can focus on caring for patients and speeding up how quickly patients are treated.
£300 million of new capital investment will go into NHS tech, with new digital tools to be rolled out to NHS staff to support their work and improve productivity – by automating administrative tasks and providing swifter access to patient information, as well as ensuring better staff communication and better coordinated care.
This will give nurses, physios, doctors, and other staff more time to care and less time on admin.
