In focus: Health and Care Policy Commission

The National Health Service is the Labour Party’s greatest achievement. The Labour Party will always cherish and protect the values of care, compassion and cooperation which have been at the heart of the service for the last 66 years.

Labour’s approach to the NHS stands in stark contrast to the Government who have put market competition ahead of patients; wasted £3 billion on a damaging NHS reorganisation; made it harder for patients to see their GP, and cut elderly care. One of the most visible signs of the  failure of this Government is the A&E crisis. 

Our task is to ensure that the NHS works as well as for the next generation as it has for the last by recognising the challenges of the 21st Century are very different from those of the past. For this to happen, integration needs to be placed at the heart of health and social care. Too often, no-one is looking out for the mental health of a patient when depression can make their physical condition worse. Too many older people are stuck in hospital wanting to go home but unable to do so because the help is not there for them. Too much money is wasted because our health and care services are fragmented and focus solely on one part of the body – a broken leg or high blood pressure – rather than on the person as a whole.

That’s why Labour’s Health and Care Policy Commission, which I co-convene, has made the realisation of ‘whole-person care’ a priority over the last couple of years.

Through Your Britain we’ve received submissions from CLPs, affiliates, members of the public and outside organisations about how the next Labour Government can set about undoing the damage done by the Tories and their top-down reorganisation, and  protecting the health and care system for the next generation without another one.

Our final year consultation document addresses a wide range of issues such as the future of social care, public health, mental health and the health and care workforce. It makes clear our commitment to putting the right values back at the heart of the NHS by repealing the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (England). It also talks about how the next Labour Government will integrate health and social care services into a system of ‘whole-person care’.

This work has been informed and supported by the output of  Sir John Oldham ‘s Independent Commission on Whole-Person Care, commissioned last year to make recommendations about how we can integrate health and care services within existing resources and without another reorganisation. The Commission’s report was published in March and is well worth a read.

Alongside the final year consultation document, we are also seeking views on exploitation in the care sector and the exploitation of Zero Hours Contracts.

We want to hear more about how you think our vision can be achieved – so please send us your thoughts here. We’ll discuss all submissions received ahead of the National Policy Forum in July, and we look forward to seeing and debating the amendments that come in from CLPs and affiliates when we get there.