UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged the BMA to act as “friends, not foes” to rescue the NHS, warning reform is vital amid strikes and tight budgets.
As reported by The Independent, Wes Streeting urged the British Medical Association to be “friends, not foes” in efforts to save the NHS from budget cuts and political challenges.
What did Wes Streeting say about BMA’s role in saving the NHS?
The Health Secretary addressed the BMA as doctors raised concerns that the government’s 10-year plan may reduce patient care quality.
Mr Streeting said Labour’s first year in office shows a
“willingness to rebuild the relationship between doctors and Government that should be grounds for optimism.”
He stated,
“The Government has changed. The attitude to the NHS and its staff has changed. I need the approach of the BMA to change too.”
The health secretary said,
“Rescuing the NHS from the biggest crisis in its history is a team effort and it will only happen if we are on the same side, working together.”
Mr Streeting stated,
“I can’t do this alone. I need partners, not adversaries. I am in this job to fight for patients every day just like you, and just like you I am in this job to save the NHS every day. If we join forces, it’s a fight we can win. If we are pitted against each other, the whole country loses.”
He added,
“When I said the NHS was broken I did not just mean for patients. I am clear that the future depends on building a health service that values you, invests in you, and supports you. We can only do that as friends, not foes.”
The Health Secretary said he aims to rebuild a relationship broken by predecessors, adding the BMA has yet to accept the olive branch.
He told the meeting,
“It’s not that you’re fighting the last war – it’s that you’re fighting the last enemy. The Conservatives curbed your pay – we’re raising it. The Conservatives created training bottlenecks – we’re tackling them.”
Mr Streeing added,
“The Conservatives took the NHS to the worst crisis in its history – we’re putting it back on the road to recovery. I’ve got to say, and surely you must see this, there isn’t a more pro-NHS, pro-union, pro-doctor health secretary waiting in the wings.”
The Health Secretary warned it is “reform or die” for the NHS, saying failure could let Nigel Farage’s Reform UK take over, adding,
“I don’t know about you, but I do not want that on my conscience.”
He said the proposal could make every NHS shift feel rewarding, warning,
“The alternative is strikes continue to hold back the NHS’s recovery, the costs of industrial action slow down investment in new technology, equipment and additional specialty places, the changes that we will agree need to be made are locked, and patients continue to be failed.”
Mr Streeing added,
“From there, the public will conclude that Labour has failed on the NHS and they will elect a Reform government instead – a party that has openly said it will replace the NHS with an insurance-based system. That’s the consequence if we fail – that’s the stakes that I’m dealing in.”
What did Dr Tom Dolphin say about NHS morale, patient confidence, and reform?
Dr Tom Dolphin, BMA council chair, said workforce morale is low, patient confidence must be rebuilt, hospital waits are often years, and the NHS needs urgent reform.
He added,
“We are not just doctors. We are patients, relatives, and carers too. And neither as doctors, nor as patients, are we opposed to, or indifferent to reform.”
What changes does the NHS 10-year plan propose for care and technology?
The NHS 10-year plan aims to reshape how health services are funded, structured, and delivered.
Reforms include shifting care from hospitals to communities, with more services provided locally and neighbourhood health centres developed.
The plan urges a shift from analogue to digital, expanding the NHS App and using AI and technology. It also focuses on strengthening health prevention across the system.
Key details about the NHS 10-year plan
The NHS target is to shift care from hospitals to local neighbourhood centres, offering GP, urgent, and mental health services. It will expand the NHS App, letting patients book appointments, access records, and get AI health advice.
Prevention is a key focus, using genomics, wearables, and anti-obesity measures. The plan also targets workforce improvements, training more staff and enhancing working conditions.