What does the NHS public consultation mean for healthcare staff?
What is Change NHS?
The government describes Change NHS as “the biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS.” On Monday 21st October, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the opening of an online portal for staff, patients, carers and outside organisations to share their experiences of the NHS, and to suggest changes they would like to see in the service.
Open until the beginning of next year, the consultation is an opportunity for the public to offer ideas which the government says will shape its 10-Year Health Plan for England, expected to be released in Spring 2025.
How does it relate to the NHS 10-Year Plan?
While it’s open to everyone, the new website includes a specific section for members of the health and care workforce to share their personal experiences, and tell leaders how they feel the NHS could be improved.
The link leads to a questionnaire, which begins by asking staff to list the three “best” and “most challenging” things about their jobs, before ranking challenges in order of importance. The final question is an open text box for staff to write in detail about the specific challenges they’ve come across in the NHS, which they’d like leaders to address moving forward. There is also an invitation for respondents to highlight improvements they’ve seen in their own workplace, which could be applied across the whole service. Though it’s important to give specific examples, the consultation is aimed at pooling ideas for the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, rather than giving feedback on individual services.
These suggestions will be used to help the government develop its strategy to create three major changes in the NHS, shifting its focus:
- from hospital to community;
- from analogue to digital; and
- from sickness to prevention
Progress towards the NHS 10-year plan, while ensuring staff have their say
Despite NHS England’s CEO, Amanda Pritchard, describing this as a, “once in a generation opportunity” for change, some colleagues will be sceptical about the process. There’s no doubt that the NHS is in urgent need of reform, and many are keen to see less talk, and more action from those at the top. We’ve heard speeches from ministers about “hearing all voices” and “supporting the workforce” before, so it’s understandable that staff will want to be sure that the feedback gained through these surveys is implemented in concrete policy terms.
Still, if we want to build a stronger health service, it’s going to take all of us. Everybody must have their say. It’s only a start, but this consultation is an opportunity we simply have to take to share our views and help shape the future of our NHS. After that, it will be up to the government to introduce new measures, which properly address the concerns raised and support healthcare staff to continue their incredible work.