Health secretary defends chancellor and PM ahead of 'seismic' 10-year plan for NHS

The wellness caput has offered a beardown defence of the premier curate and chancellor - up of Sir Keir Starmer mounting retired his 10-year imaginativeness for the NHS.

PM 'might person to spell successful months' - authorities latest

Wes Streeting dismissed suggestions the premier curate could beryllium forced retired successful months pursuing the toughest week of his premiership yet, and described Rachel Reeves arsenic "resilient" and would "bounce back" pursuing her tearful quality successful the Commons connected Wednesday.

Overnight, 2 elder sources - a subordinate of the authorities and a salient person - told Sky News' lawman governmental exertion Sam Coates that they had "put Sir Keir Starmer connected notice".

The wellness secretary, who was speaking arsenic Sir Keir prepares to acceptable retired his 10-year imaginativeness for the NHS, said the premier curate had been "consistently underestimated".

Asked by Kamali Melbourne on Sky News Breakfast whether Sir Keir was "safe", Mr Streeting said: "Of course.

"Keir Starmer has been consistently underestimated. I wonderment erstwhile radical volition learn.

"They said helium couldn't triumph the Labour leadership, but helium did. They said helium couldn't alteration the Labour Party, but helium did.

"They said helium couldn't instrumentality the Labour Party from its worst decision since the 1930s to predetermination triumph past year. And helium did and present the cynics accidental helium can't alteration the country, but helium will."

As for Ms Reeves - whose tearful quality successful the Commons spooked markets aft the premier curate initially failed to backmost her, Mr Streeting said the chancellor was a "tough character" who was "resilient and she volition bounce back".

The wellness caput declined to grow connected wherefore Ms Reeves was successful the enclosure astatine each yesterday, repeating that it was a idiosyncratic matter.

"Rachel Reeves arsenic chancellor is present to stay," helium continued.

"We request her to get the system from spot to strength, to marque definite that household finances are successful amended wellness than we were erstwhile we came into office."

Speculation astir the futures of the 2 astir elder members of the authorities endanger to overshadow the announcement today, which the authorities says is "one of the astir seismic shifts" successful the wellness service's history.

Sir Keir volition pledge 3 main facets of the plan: moving attraction into the community, digitising the NHS, and a absorption connected sickness prevention.

The premier curate volition denote neighbourhood wellness services volition beryllium rolled retired crossed England to amended entree to the NHS and to displacement attraction retired of overstrained hospitals.

Sir Keir has already promised thousands much GPs volition beryllium trained, and to extremity the 8am "scramble" for an appointment.

He besides antecedently said his authorities volition bring the NHS into the integer age, with "groundbreaking" caller tools to enactment GPs rolled retired implicit the adjacent 2 years - including AI to instrumentality notes, draught letters and participate data.

And helium volition committedness caller contracts that volition promote and let GP practices to screen a wider geographical area, truthful tiny practices volition get much support.

Unite, 1 of the UK's largest healthcare unions, welcomed the program cautiously but said unit request to beryllium the absorption to guarantee radical are amended looked after.

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'Reform oregon die'

Sir Keir said: "The NHS should beryllium determination for everyone, whenever they request it.

"But we inherited a wellness strategy successful crisis, addicted to a sticking plaster approach, and incapable to look up to the challenges we look now, fto unsocial successful the future.

"That ends now. Because it's betterment oregon die."

Neighbourhood wellness services

The recently announced neighbourhood wellness services volition supply "pioneering teams" successful section communities, truthful patients tin much conveniently entree a afloat scope of healthcare services adjacent to home.

Local areas volition beryllium encouraged to proceedings innovative schemes similar assemblage outreach door-to-door to observe aboriginal signs of unwellness and trim unit connected GPs and A&E.

The purpose is to yet person caller wellness centres unfastened 12 hours a day, six days a week to connection GP services arsenic good arsenic diagnostics, post-operative attraction and rehab.

They volition besides connection services similar indebtedness advice, employment support, halt smoking assistance oregon value management.

More NHS dentists

Dentists volition besides beryllium portion of the plan, with dental attraction professionals portion of the neighbourhood teams.

Dental "therapists" volition transportation retired check-ups, treatments and referrals, portion dental nurses could springiness acquisition and proposal to parents oregon enactment with schools and assemblage groups.

Newly qualified dentists volition beryllium required to signifier successful the NHS for a minimum period, which they person said volition beryllium 3 years.