Starmer unveils overhaul of NHS – everything you need to know on changes to GPs and hospitals
Share:
The prime minister said the reforms focused on providing more convenience for patients in a key speech on Monday. Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled the full details of Labour’s plan to reform the NHS and reduce waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks. The prime minister claimed the reforms were about providing more convenience for patients with the country facing a crippling NHS waiting list backlog.
![[Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the NHS reforms are about creating greater convenience for patients.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/06/10/SEI235149753.jpg)
"This plan is a comprehensive level of that mindset, an NHS that treats patients more quickly, that is closer to their lives, gives them the level of convenience that they take for granted in nearly every other service they use every day,” he said on Monday.
Here are some of the key changes, and what they will mean for you:. Part of the plan to get care and treatment closer to where patients need it will see an increase in the number of surgical hubs. The government plans to open 17 new or expanded surgical hubs, where people can receive non-urgent treatment, including cataract surgeries and some orthopaedic procedures.
The aim is to free up hospital operating theatres for emergency or more serious cases, ensuring patients with critical needs and those with less complex cases all receive faster care. The NHS app is getting a major upgrade in March, allowing patients in the vast majority of acute trusts to book appointments and communicate with GPs and hospitals about their care and follow-up appointments, as needed.
