The NHS at 75: a letter to party leaders (5 July 2023)

Summary

As the NHS turns 75, the Chief Executives of The Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund have written to the leaders of the three largest political parties in England, calling on them to make the upcoming general election a decisive break point by ending years of short termism in NHS policy-making.  

The joint letter highlights four key areas where long-term policies coupled with considered investment would help chart a path back to a stronger health service:  

1. Invest in the physical resources the NHS needs to do its job including equipment, beds, buildings and new technology. 
2. Deliver long overdue reform of adult social care 
3. Commit to a cross-government strategy over the course of the next parliament to improve the underlying social and economic conditions that shape the health of the nation 
4. Build on the recently published NHS long term workforce plan with sustained commitment to providing the resources it needs to succeed