Health Secretary Wes Streeting has vowed to defy left-wing critics as he warned the NHS is “letting down patients daily” and needs urgent reform.
Controversial plans include giving patients the right to choose treatment in the private sector, with the NHS picking up the bill.
Writing in the Sunday Express, Mr Streeting said: “Some on the left may cringe or cry ‘marketisation’. But this Labour government believes working people deserve to be treated on time, not just the wealthy.”
The Health Secretary is today announcing £150 million of investment in new technology including artificial intelligence in order to improve treatment such as cancer care.
But this is only part of the “major surgery” required to save the NHS, he said. Tomorrow he will set out further details of the Government’s ten-year plan for the health service, after an inquiry by consultant surgeon Lord Darzi concluded it was in “critical condition”.
Writing in the Sunday Express, Mr Streeting said: “His report gave a full and frank assessment – infants left waiting six hours in A&E, the UK miles behind other countries when it comes to cancer care, and the NHS 15 years behind the private sector on technology.”
He added: “This is the paradox of the NHS today. Staffed by some of the most heroic, expert, dedicated people you will meet. Yet it is also going through the biggest crisis in its history, letting down patients daily.”
Today’s announcement includes funding from the Government and private sector to develop new treatments and diagnostic methods such as a breath test which can spot certain types of cancer.
An AI scheme developed by the University of Edinburgh will predict the impact of immunotherapy on patients while Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is working on an AI system to streamline the diagnosis of blood cancers.
Mr Streeting, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2021, said: “As a cancer survivor, I know how vital an early cancer diagnosis and the latest treatments are. This investment will not only save lives, but also secure Britain’s status as a powerhouse for life sciences and medical technology.”
Life sciences contribute £108 billion annually to the UK economy and support around 300,000 jobs.
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, whose mother died of lung cancer, said: “Cancer is a disease that has brought pain, misery and heartbreak to every family in the country, including my own. But through Government working in partnership with the NHS, researchers, and business, we can harness science and innovation to bring the detection and treatment of this horrendous disease firmly into the 21st century.”
