NHS Performance: Darzi Investigation

In a statement delivered in the House of Commons, the minister highlighted the findings of an independent investigation into the performance of the National Health Service (NHS) conducted by Lord Darzi. The minister acknowledged the need for honesty in addressing the issues facing the NHS, stating that previous Conservative governments had swept problems under the carpet rather than seeking solutions. The minister revealed that Lord Darzi's investigation uncovered several alarming findings, including the fact that 100,000 toddlers and babies were left waiting for six hours in A&E last year, over 10% of hospital beds are occupied by patients who do not require hospitalization, and children are less healthy today than they were a decade ago. Additionally, the minister noted that adults are living longer but getting sicker sooner, with conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure on the rise, and mortality from preventable causes is significantly higher in the UK compared to other advanced countries. The minister attributed these issues to four major factors: a decade of underinvestment, leading to outdated equipment and crumbling infrastructure; the disastrous 2012 top-down reorganization of the NHS, which wasted time, talent, and money; the failure to build on the reforms implemented by the previous Labour government, which had delivered the shortest waiting times and highest patient satisfaction in history; and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the damage already done to the NHS by the Conservatives. The minister emphasized the need to learn from these mistakes and work towards a brighter future for the NHS, stating that the fundamental promise of the health service being there for the people when they need it has been broken for a decade. The minister called for the House to debate the future of the NHS and how it needs to change, expressing optimism about the potential of the health service to improve and better serve the needs of the population.